


The Frog Prince

by ramenrulz8P



Category: Monsta X (Band)
Genre: Fantasy Romcom, Frog Prince AU, M/M, References to and short cameos by Seventeen and VIXX cause I'm trash, This is mostly a comedy with plot, WARNING: MILD VIOLENCE (which is why this is rated T), but i promise there's a happy ending, don't write a fic over the course of a year, even thought it might seem like there won't be one, for plot reasons, i accidentally adopted 99 sons, lol I have to add the kids from Broduce 101 too, probably some hard core angst in the future, slight hyunghyuk, slight wonkyun, wonhyuk and showki are sideships that show up later
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-25
Updated: 2017-10-23
Packaged: 2018-09-19 20:40:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 50,752
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9459611
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ramenrulz8P/pseuds/ramenrulz8P
Summary: This is the tale of how Prince Hyungwon gets cursed to live as frog and how a would-be-wizard named Changkyun tries to help him become human again.





	1. Act 1. The Prince and the Apprentice

**Author's Note:**

  * For [wingenuine](https://archiveofourown.org/users/wingenuine/gifts).



_[A/N:] Because the curse is magic Hyungwon still views the world the way a human would because trust me the story wouldn’t go anywhere if he had frog vision. (Nearsighted – can’t see anything that’s not moving- can’t see color.)_

* * *

 

It had been a long day of travel for young Prince Hyungwon. They were nearly halfway to the Kingdom of Raemi, where he was to represent his own kingdom in their festivities. He’d been tasked with “upholding the relations between their countries,” as his father had put it. But Hyungwon knew he’d just have to smile and pretend like he cared about the processions, lest he wanted an earful from his mother.

Hyungwon frowned as servants changed him into his nightclothes at the small manor house he was resting in. The thought of the future and the stress of travel had left his head feeling bloated.

His parents were cruel in giving him a mid-sized carriage with only four travel companions. The driver and footman were practically invisible, and it was no better being stuck in a carriage with Ambassador Jooheon and Royal Guard Shownu. Neither were much company as Shownu rarely spoke and Jooheon somehow passed out five minutes into the carriage ride. Hyungwon wished he knew how Jooheon did it. As much as he wanted to, the bumpy travel made it near impossible for the irritable prince to rest, leaving him feeling more tired than usual.

The fatigue distracted the prince from his log. He kept twirling his quill absent-mindedly in his hands, completely unable to focus. He shifted after every few seconds, placing the tip of the quill to the blank page in front of him and then withdrawing his hand. He urged his fingers to write, but he couldn’t muster more than a word. A sigh left his lips. This wouldn’t do.

The prince put down his quill and yelled for Jooheon.

As he heard the ambassador scrambling from the next room, he smiled.

* * *

Jooheon waited a few seconds to calm himself before he knocked and peeked his head inside the door. “You called, Your Highness?”

“Can’t focus. Have a headache. Fetch a doctor and some tea,” Hyungwon ordered as he reclined in his chair with his head leaned back and eyes closed.

“Your Highness…” Jooheon uncomfortably shuffled his feet by the doorway. “I’m just an ambassador-”

The prince’s eyes shot open and tilted his head up to the ambassador. “Did you not hear me properly?”

Biting back whatever spite was at the end of his tongue, Jooheon complied. “I’ll get right on it, Your Highness.”

Hyungwon wasn’t exactly a model prince. Yes, he was handsome. Sure, he was charming. But that was only when he wanted to be.

To those who knew him well, Prince Hyungwon was known for being an annoying little shit who always got what he wanted, or else. For some, the prince’s outlandish behavior was a source of daily entertainment, but for others... not so much.

Jooheon sadly fell into that latter category.

Day in and day out, the humble ambassador served as a messenger for the prince. Day in and day out, the prince made him do ridiculous tasks. Though he was someone of status, he’d had to do odd jobs like deliver juice to the prince (which the prince spat out) or buy the prince a new ink well (which his broke the next day). One time, Prince Hyungwon had even used Jooheon for target practice.

Jooheon even swore his hair was starting to fall out prematurely because of all the stress.

The ambassador spent his best days in the Kingdom of Raemi. Though it wasn’t his birthplace, Jooheon had spent the majority his life in the Kingdom of Raemi and for the most part, it happened to be pleasant. However, if he had to pick just one thing about the kingdom he didn’t like, it would be the scary Head Pharmacist.

So, when the manor’s housekeeper told him that the doctor was gone and that he’d need to send for the Court Pharmacist, he almost thought he’d heard the housekeeper wrong.

“Court Pharmacist? You mean the creepy herbologist with the pink hair?” Jooheon’s eyes were a full two centimeters wide as he gestured to his head with his hands.

The servant only nodded, and Jooheon felt like he was the one who had to go see a doctor.

The Head Pharmacist of Raemi, Yoo Kihyun, was known for a lot of things. His name was widespread throughout the land as one of the best herbologists in this day and age. He could cure almost anything in a matter of minutes. But what concerned Jooheon was the fact that Kihyun was also a wizard. That too, a wizard that didn’t like people all that much. Especially people that asked for favors.

Jooheon prayed as he sent out the calling signal that Kihyun would be a good, merciful mood.

A cloud of purple dust swirled in the manor’s parlor just minutes after the signal was sent.

“Ambassador Jooheon. It’s always a pleasure seeing you. Is there a particular reason you called me out to the middle of nowhere at one in the morning?” Kihyun smiled coldly, the underlying malice in his eyes ever present.

The ambassador felt his mouth go dry as he tried to formulate a response. “Prince Hyungwon is feeling a little ill and I was hoping you could aid him so we can continue our journey tomorrow in peace.”

“Lead the way,” Kihyun said dryly.

Jooheon silently guided Kihyun up the stairs to the prince’s quarters where Hyungwon remained seated as servants massaged him. They immediately let go of the prince the moment Jooheon and Kihyun entered the room.

“What took you so long?” Hyungwon frowned at Jooheon, ignoring the Court Pharmacist who wordlessly went to his side.

Jooheon bowed his head, expecting this from the prince. “Sending for a doctor at this time of night isn’t easy, Your Highness. You’ll have to forgive the punctuality.”

Hyungwon let out a huff of air and drooped further into his seat. He let his arm lay limply at his side instead of holding it up for Kihyun.

The pink haired wizard snorted at the prince’s childish behavior. It was too late at night for Kihyun to maintain his geniality. “Are you normally this much of an asshole?”

With fire in his eyes, the prince looked at the Court Pharmacist for the first time since he’d entered the room. “Excuse me, who do you think you’re talking to?”

“An overgrown child,” Kihyun shot back so quickly that Hyungwon was shocked.

The prince scoffed. He didn’t know if the Court Pharmacist’s attitude made him angry or bemused. “Just do your job.”

“I am doing my job, but I didn’t know it required me to deal with such a brat,” Kihyun answered as he finished checking the prince’s pulse.

Hyungwon pulled his hand back so fast that Kihyun’s nails scratched his skin. “Such impudence speaking to me that way. Who do you think you are? The Queen?”

“Do I look like your mother, kid?” Kihyun sneered.

Enraged, the prince retorted without caring about the weight of his words. “Obviously not. If you were my mother, there’s no way I’d be this tall.”

Jooheon gasped as he restrained himself from reaching out and shaking the prince. His eyes silently screamed, “Why would you say that?!” as he bore holes into the prince with his stare. In the passing moments, the ambassador kept flicking his eyes between the prince and the wizard, waiting to see what would happen next.

Sweat dropped from Jooheon’s forehead as he saw how flat and pale Kihyun’s pressed lips became.

The wizard didn’t bow as he strode to the door. He stopped briskly in front of Jooheon, making him jolt when he grabbed his hand. Shivers went down Jooheon’s spine when a cold glass vial was pressed into his palm.

“Give this elixir to the prince by stirring it nicely into his tea. It should help with the headache.” Each word Kihyun uttered sounded as if he was spitting a curse. “There are some side effects to this drug, so I’d advise the prince to take heed.”

Jooheon frantically nodded, hoping that if he complied the tiny wizard would spare his life.

“I’m a busy man. Don’t call on me again.” Kihyun’s side-eyed glare towards the prince made Jooheon's blood run cold. The ambassador couldn't have been more relieved when the wizard stepped into the hall and disappeared in a cloud of black smoke.

Jooheon immediately turned to his prince. “Did you have to talk to him like that, Your Highness?”

“Are you sassing me as well?” Hyungwon’s voice edged on a threat.

He held back a resigned sigh. There was no helping his prince. “Of course not, Your Highness.”

“Then, serve me my damn tea.”

The servants rolled a cart in and prepared the ginseng tea. Jooheon poured the contents of the small vial into the cup before placing it in front of the prince.

Hyungwon’s face scrunched up as he drank his first sip. The tang on his tongue was too strong. It was an overwhelming flavor that made his whole body feel strange. It was odder still how, despite the taste, he couldn’t stop himself from drinking every last drop. When he finished, the prince felt feverish. Cold sweat drenched his form and the room began to spin. He gripped the arms of his chair until his knuckles were white just to try and make it stop.

He swallowed the thick buildup in his throat and ordered Jooheon again, “Go open the window, it’s too stuffy in here.”

The ambassador hurried to window, throwing it open as quickly as he could. Jooheon quickly turned around to face the prince only to find the room sans prince. At first, he thought it was a trick but then he saw Prince Hyungwon’s clothes lying in a heap on his seat. Something shuffled in the fabric and Jooheon fell over in fright. His lips quivered as he approached the clothes again.

A frog hopped out of the shirt and directly in front of Jooheon’s face. The startled ambassador collapsed with a thud, alerting Shownu who was standing guard outside.

Before long, the manor was teeming with guards - all frantically searching for their prince.

Little did they know, their prince was right in front of them. Only no one would possibly believe that their prince had become a frog.

* * *

Hyungwon had many regrets.

He wished he’d been a kinder person. He wished he’d helped more around the palace. He wished he learned more about the world.

Oh, who was he kidding? He just wanted his body back!

He wanted to scream and cry every time he looked at his reflection. He would admit he wasn’t the most handsome prince in the province, but he was still one of the most handsome – who definitely didn’t deserve to be turned into a tiny, slimy frog!

It was an absolute travesty!

He could only imagine how devastated his parents would be… How shaken…

If only he hadn’t drank that tea he wouldn’t be stuck like this!

But despite being shaken, the prince was still able to remain somewhat sensible. He knew he wouldn’t be able to hop all the way to Starship Palace, so he burrowed himself in the ambassador’s coat as the poor man was being sent to the infirmary. He didn’t know if he was just tired or if his new form had something to do with it, but for the first time ever Hyungwon slept through a carriage ride.

When they arrived at the palace, the prince woke. He remained hidden and waited while Jooheon was being carried. With his new body came new needs to fulfill. Being in wrapped up in cloth for hours dried up his skin, making it hard for him to breathe. He waited until his tympanum picked up the sound of running water nearby and hopped off the stretcher.

As a human he would have never been able to fit through the crack in the door, but he infiltrated the room with ease in his current form. To his luck, the prince managed to find himself a bathroom.

His desperation made the prince blind to his surroundings except the large open pool filled with water. Immediately, the prince jumped in, soaking in the pleasantly warm bath. When he felt like he could breathe again, he started to look around and finally took notice that this was no ordinary bathroom.

Had the sheer opulence of the place not made it clear, Prince Minhyuk stepping out of his shower stark naked sure did.

Prince Hyungwon was in Prince Minhyuk’s royal bathing chamber.

The frog prince knew his mouth was agape as he blatantly ogled Prince Minhyuk. If he had hands he might have tried to cover his eyes to give the other prince some privacy, but at the same time he felt blessed to witness Minhyuk’s gorgeous form descend into the bath.

His perversion had glued him to the spot until his rumbling stomach pulled him back to reality. _Oh no_ , he thought as he tensed on the ledge of the bath, hoping Minhyuk hadn’t heard.

The blond prince had heard, unfortunately, and began to search for the source of the sound. With that Hyungwon knew his peeping session had ended. He quickly hopped down the drains on the bathroom floor just so he could land in the pond behind the castle.

Hyungwon felt both ashamed and disgusted. Partly because he’d been creeping on Minhyuk but mostly because he was swimming in filthy pond water. It was gross. Everything about this was gross. The only solace he found was on a warm, sun covered rock by the water.

As he looked at the reflection of the palace in the pond, the prince began to recount the many travesties that befell him in this new form. Was he still human? Was he fully frog? Would bugs taste good to him as a frog? Or were his taste buds still human?

Hyungwon tried to open his mouth to catch a mosquito that had been flying near him but only found himself wanting to vomit. By the fifth try, he’d given up. Though there were many kinds of bugs around him, not one seemed appetizing. The prince gave up and endured the side effects of starvation. His muscles seemed to have stopped listening to him. His blurred vision was barely able to make out the figure drawing closer to him as the sun began to touch the horizon.

As the figure approached, Hyungwon skirted along the edge of his consciousness.

The last thing he remembered before blacking out was two hands reaching out for him.

* * *

Hyungwon’s eyes snapped open when he heard a large thud around him. He blinked and took in his surroundings. His eyes darted side to side as his panicked heart threatened to beat out of his abdomen. The prince was no longer by the pond. He was in a jar half-filled with water on someone’s study table. Piles of books and plants and sharp looking instruments were strewn across its surface. The desk seemed to be encompassed in a wall of books, save for one small door like opening at the back. The lamplight aided Hyungwon in making out the shadow of a figure from behind one of the shelves.

He heard the shadow groan as it grabbed something from the floor. A flash of red robe though the shelves was enough to confirm it.

Hyungwon was in a room that belonged to one of the Starship Palace’s medicinal court. And that could only mean one thing - he was going to be dissected.

His eyes flashed to the sharp tools on the desk and panic flared through his lethargic being. He had to get out of there! The prince frantically pounded against the lid of the jar with his front flipper. Hyungwon knew it was futile to even attempt it but he didn’t want to die like this.

His rising stress levels caused his throat to swell up – making him croak- alerting whoever was behind the bookcase to him.

The figure stepped out from behind the shelf holding a blinding glowing stone that made it hard for Hyungwon to make out his potential killer’s face.

Hyungwon shut his eyes as he heard the lid of the jar open. He squirmed when he was grabbed by two large hands.

“Please don’t hurt me!” The frog prince apparently spoke the pleas he was screaming in his mind.

Silence filtered through the room before the figure spoke, his deep, quiet voice filling the room. “You can talk?”

Hyungwon tried to figure out what shook him more - the voice or the fact that he, a frog, had just spoken.

“I can talk…?” the frog tested, still unsure if it was real. When he heard his voice again, the prince gleefully exclaimed. “I can talk!”

“Am I dreaming?” the voice asked again, and the prince was finally able to make out its owner.

The man was just as handsome as his voice was low. It was hard to tell how old he was with his sharp features and piercing dark eyes which stared at him curiously.

“No! No, you’re not!” The frog prince excitedly cheered as he kept testing his voice.

The man nodded slowly. As if speaking to himself he spoke, “You’re right I couldn’t dream this up. It’s too weird.”

Hyungwon couldn’t care less about how the man felt and got straight to the point, “I need your help!”

“Just give me a moment to process this.” The man held up a hand at the frog before pinching the bridge of his nose. “You can talk…”

“We’ve established this already, whoever you are!”

“Changkyun,” the man answered, lowering the hand that was on his nose.

“What?” Hyungwon asked, wondering if he’d missed something.

The man cleared his throat, looking down at Hyungwon wearily. “My name is Changkyun, what’s yours?”

The frog couldn’t care less what his name was, but he presumed it was only right to exchange formalities. “My name isn’t what matters right now! I was cursed! Someone turned me into a frog and now I’m stuck like this....”

Changkyun gave a resigned sigh, it seemed introductions would have to wait. “A curse would explain why you can talk.”

“If you know what this is you, then you can help me!”

The man pointedly raised his brow at the frog. “Why should I help you?”

“You haven’t killed me yet, so I’d assume you’re nice.”

“Thanks for the vote of confidence,” Changkyun scoffed as he put Hyungwon down on the desk, moving to the other side of the room. “I’ll help you.” The man didn’t face the frog as he searched his shelves for a book that might give him some answers.

Hyungwon hopped closer to the edge of the desk which Changkyun stood at. “Really? That’s it?”

“I literally have nothing better to do with my time.” There was a faint bitterness in Changkyun’s voice that Hyungwon chose to ignore.

“Aren’t doctors usually busy?”

“I’m just an herbologist’s apprentice,”Changkyun explained, his cool tone unable to cover his annoyance. “I have to pass an exam given by my master but that guy is never around, so I’m left to my own devices unless he sends me a task.”

The apprentice stacked another book onto the pile in his hands and moved back to the table.

“So, one of those will help me?”

Changkyun set down his book and pulled out a notebook from a desk drawer, looking at Hyungwon attentively. “First things first, tell me how exactly you were cursed.”

“I had a headache so I called a doctor. He gave my servants some elixir that was supposed to help but it turned me into a frog!”

The apprentice scribbled notes down, not looking up when he asked, “Did it taste tangy?”

It took a while for him to think it through before he answered, “…yes.”

Once again, Changkyun’s dark eyes were on him. They carried the pity that Changkyun’s voice seemed to lack. “And no spell was placed on you after?”

Hyungwon only shook his head this time as he watched the would-be herbologist contemplate.

After looking over his notes, Changkyun gave him the diagnosis behind his curse. “It seems you ingested the magic, which means it will hold to you stronger than a regular spell. There are only a few other cases similar yours that I’ve read about, and depending on how much of it you drank, this could last a few weeks at best, or it’s possibly permanent.”

“I’d rather die than stay like this forever!”

Changkyun didn’t seem at all shaken by the prince’s declaration. Instead, he gave him an unimpressed frown. “You’re lucky I found you when I did or you would have been dead already.”

Hyungwon hopped onto the back of Changkyun’s hand. “Why did you take me in, in the first place?”

The small smirk that Changkyun was both enchanting and infuriating. “I saw you looking at food but not able to extend your tongue, so I figured you had a muscle problem. And since you are a frog, there are no laws against me treating you.”

“You treated me?” The frog examined himself for cuts or knife marks, but found none.

The apprentice lifted his free hand and tapped the glass jar Hyungwon had woken up in. “The water in the jar I’d had you in is infused with a special kind of revitalizing magic. It works sort of like food and provides you with energy so you don’t get hungry. It should keep you sustained for a good few weeks if you enter it for three hours every day or whenever you’re hungry.”

The frog was amazed for a small second. He knew the doctors in Raemi were capable of extraordinary things, but he had no clue they could do this. “If there weren’t a stupid law against it, they could have sent you instead of that insufferable asshole. Then I wouldn’t be stuck like this.”

“You can still turn back,” Changkyun casually stated as he got up and scanned another bookshelf, pulling out a leather-bound book with a lock on it.

Hyungwon felt his already bulging eyes grow wider. “Why didn’t you tell me sooner?! I thought you said this is permanent?!”

“That only happens if you don’t break the curse,” the apprentice spoke as if the answer was obvious.

“And how do you suppose I do that?”

“I’m not sure if this applies to your situation as well, but a there’s a potion similar to this that turned that someone into a rabbit. They broke that spell by kissing a prince.”

If only I could kiss myself, Hyungwon thought.

“I have to kiss Prince Minhyuk to be turned back into a human?”

Changkyun opened the locked book and sneered at the text when he got to certain page. He read over the page one more time before he told gave Hyungwon a reply, “I could try making the potion that reverses this, but I don’t have the ingredients and it takes about a year to make. Plus there’s an off chance I could make it wrong.”

“Then it’s my only option…” Hyungwon sighed, hopping off the apprentice’s hand.

Changkyun patted his head with his pointer finger to reassure him. “Don’t worry, Minhyuk-hyung is a little strange but he’s a nice guy.”

Hyungwon knew he should be more worried about how to get himself turned back to a human before things got bad. But that didn’t mean he wasn’t a little intrigued by this apprentice. Changkyun was as mysterious as his hair which constantly changed color depending on the light. How could a prince allow some random apprentice refer to him so casually? Even if Minhyuk was the most amicable prince Hyungwon knew, the man still demanded respect.

“I think you should try talking to him. If you explain that you’re cursed, Minhyuk-hyung will probably kiss you. There’s only the matter of getting close to him…” Changkyun trailed off as he tapped a finger on his chin. After a few seconds, he flipped to a clean page in his journal. “We’re going to have to plan carefully if we want to turn you back-uhh… you never told me your name.”

The frog blinked. His mouth curved up in amusement as he answered, “Hyungwon. My name is Hyungwon.”

“Hyungwon,” Changkyun tested the sound the name. With a nod he went back to what he was doing.

It was odd for Hyungwon to hear his name spoken without a title or even honorifics. Stranger still was how the apprentice gave no sign of recognizing the name of the missing Prince of Gwangju.

Hyungwon sat perched on the ledge of his jar, watching how the light and shadows made Changkyun’s hair color change from ashy brown to warm caramel and every shade in between. A million questions ran through his head as he kept his eyes glued to Changkyun - why had he agreed to help him? How could he cope with this so easily? If he called Prince Minhyuk hyung, then did that mean Changkyun was younger than him too?

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [A/N:] Just to clarify, Changkyun is hiding the fact that Kihyun is his master and Hyungwon didn't tell Changkyun he’s the prince.
> 
> Did you enjoy it? Please, please, please leave me your thoughts!
> 
> HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY BIAS, CHANGKYUN!!!! (I was gonna upload this on Hyungwon's birthday but it wasn't ready yet XD


	2. Act 2. Part 1. Dog Days

Hyungwon jumped, filling his panicked lungs with air as he landed.

“You’ll never catch me!” he screamed back at his assailant.

Changkyun tried to reach the top of the bookcase where Hyungwon had landed. He huffed and glared at the frog, “Stop being a baby and just drink it!”

“That turd-green, foul-smelling concoction isn’t going anywhere near me!” Hyungwon spat back from the high ground, taking full advantage of the apprentice’s short stature.

Changkyun placed his hands on his hips and let out an exhausted sigh. Hyungwon had been evading him for nearly twenty minutes now and he had reached his limit. “I didn’t want to do this, but you leave me no choice,” the wizard said as his fingers glowed blue.

“What th-”

Before Hyungwon could finish, he was encompassed in the same light, his whole form turning blue and tingling with sparks of energy.

It took him two seconds to process that Changkyun had just zapped him, and another two seconds to realize that he was floating five feet off the ground and towards the boy.

“Open wide,” Changkyun asked, but he wasn’t going to wait for Hyungwon to follow orders this time. The apprentice forcibly held the frog’s mouth open as he shoved the potion down his throat.

Hyungwon squirmed as he felt the cool sludge crawl down his insides, his tongue numbed with the tang of magic. Unlike the spell that Changkyun used earlier, the potion clung to him. It was like pin pricks all over his body, pinching and pulling until he morphed into a predestined form.

When it finally stopped, he opened his eyes and looked into Changkyun’s floor length mirror.

Hyungwon blinked twice, hoping to clear whatever misconception he might have because in front of him stood a small, fluffy monstrosity.

“A dog?! So I’m stuck as a dog now?!” Hyungwon barked. He knew the potion was supposed to transform him, but Changkyun had failed to mention what he’d become.

“I never said-” Changkyun tried to butt in Hyungwon’s rant but got cut off.

“Are you sure you’re even a proper wizard?! Why a dog of all thing!?”

“Because it’s the perfect choice-” The apprentice tried to speak again but Hyungwon wouldn’t let him.

“If you can transform me with a potion why don’t you just make me a person again,” Hyungwon growled, too blinded by his rage to realize he’d crossed a line.

That was it. Changkyun was done waiting for Hyungwon to finish his rant. The wizard had spent too long planning things out and making this potion for Hyungwon only for the former frog to outright disrespect him like this.

“Because dogs are cute and friendly – plus Minhyuk hyung loves them, so you’re likely to get that kiss without having to say anything. But more importantly, you’re forgetting you’re already under magical strain. If I tried to make you too big you could explode. Stop acting like I don’t know what I’m doing!” The wizard panted as he finished what he had to say in one breath.

The stunned dog prince only stared up at Changkyun. No one, not even his parents, had ever raised their voice at him. Hyungwon suddenly felt like laughing. Everything about this situation was ridiculous.

Just days ago, he was a prince being fawned over by his subjects and now he was a dog being lectured by some wizard’s apprentice. What he found oddest though was the fact he actually wanted to apologize to Changkyun, but was too prideful and angry to even try to.

Not saying a word in reply to Changkyun was probably the best apology that Hyungwon could give.

Somehow it seemed like the wizard understood. “We’d better get going. Like I mentioned, this potion’s effects are temporary.”

Hyungwon stood in attention with his tail wagging behind him. He expected Changkyun to walk past him and open to door, not scoop him up into his arms.

The prince tried not to yelp at the sudden movement. He was still not used to being hoisted off the ground and having no control over his balance. But there was something oddly reassuring about being held by Changkyun. It was clear to anyone with eyes that Changkyun wasn’t the sturdiest man out there, yet somehow when Changkyun held him, Hyungwon felt so safe that he burrowed into the crevasse of Changkyun’s arm.

He’d never felt this attached to Changkyun before and there was clearly no explanation for why.

Maybe it was the magic? Maybe it was his new dog instincts? Maybe it was both?

Hyungwon had been lost in his thoughts when he felt Changkyun stop. As he pulled his head from the crease in Changkyun’s arms, Hyungwon’s senses were overwhelmed.

Instantly, his nose picked up the sweet scent of flowers and freshly cut grass. He could hear the sound of Prince Minhyuk's laughter mixing with noise of the bubbling fountain. Everything felt so crisp and so fresh that Hyungwon unconsciously moved his whole form as far out as he could to sneak a peek.

Past the pillars was a courtyard. At the opposite where he and Changkyun stood was a fountain protruding from a walled off section of the yard. Hidden by the blossoming trees which surrounded the fountain were two small archways leading to the back of the palace grounds. It seemed that the fields beyond the wall connected to the courtyard filling it with vibrant trimmed grass. However, there was a singular stone pathway lined with bushes of roses that cut through the grass, leading straight to the fountain.

On one of the benches adjacent to the fountain, Prince Minhyuk sat, making faces at whoever was sitting next to him.

Hyungwon felt his heart stir as he watched the prince laugh and smile. The idea of kissing him wasn't so bad.

"This is Minhyuk-hyung's favorite place in the palace." The jarring sound of Changkyun's deep voice pulled him from his view.

Hyungwon did his best to not glare up at the wizard for breaking his concentration.

"It's secluded, so none of the staff members should be around here.”

The statement only managed to confuse Hyungwon. “But you’re staff, aren’t you? How are you allowed here?”

"I have clearance," a tautness in Changkyun’s voice told Hyungwon that it was the last that they’d be discussing this.

The dog wanted to roll his eyes. He was used to this tone. Changkyun used it whenever he was dodging an uncomfortable topic.

Trying to pry would get him nowhere, and his time was better used trying to finish his mission. Hyungwon’s mind was set, he was going to complete this mission and be a prince again, and then he’d never have to deal with being left in the dark by handsome wizards again. He wiggled around, trying to get Changkyun to put him on the ground, but the wizard only held onto him tighter.

“Aren’t you going to put me down?” Hyungwon asked, confused and annoyed by Changkyun.

It was like the wizard wasn’t even paying attention to him. The boy kept staring off somewhere instead of looking at Minhyuk. With a furrowed brow, Changkyun spoke. “I think we’re going to have to try another time.”

“What? Why?” Hyungwon’s voice rose, and Changkyun hushed him as he began to step away from Minhyuk.

“Just trust me,” the wizard pleaded as he kept moving back.

Hyungwon didn’t understand what was going on. One moment the perfect opportunity was in front of them, and then in the next Changkyun is telling him that it’s not the right time? The prince could only handle being tossed around so much, so he snapped.

“No! I’m tired of having to take your word for it!” he yelled before biting Changkyun’s arm.

“Agh!” the wizard cried out in pain before reaching out for the dog who was darting towards the courtyard. “Wait!”

Changkyun’s voice echoed through the halls but Hyungwon didn’t listen.

He darted down the corner with the goal of Prince Minhyuk in mind. The dog ran as fast as his nubby feet could carry him. He’d almost made it halfway when he saw a shadow whizz past him. His senses alerted him to danger and he finally saw the arrow that was aimed for his head. Hyungwon’s heart skipped a beat until he saw it was suspended in air, the blue glow of Changkyun’s magic keeping it in place.

More arrows were fired, and more arrows were stopped. It was a panicked mess that Hyungwon couldn’t seem to make sense of.

He heard Prince Minhyuk yelling for the guards to stop. He saw four heavily armored men headed in his direction. But they didn’t make it to him fast enough. Hyungwon could swear that Changkyun was nowhere near him five seconds ago, yet somehow the wizard had managed to pull Hyungwon back into his arms.

“Sorry! I’m so sorry! This is the dog I’m temporarily caring for. I’m not sure how he got out, but please don’t hurt him.” It was Changkyun begging on his behalf.

A gruff angry voice spoke after him, “We can’t just let it go! It got too close to His Highness.”

“Stop. He’s a friend,” a softer cheerful voice called out. The dog moved his head to see if it was Prince Minhyuk who spoke. His eyes grew wide as he finally saw the prince up close. “I’m sorry about all this Changkyun-ah. The guards have been pushier because the Prince of Gwangju went missing.”

Hyungwon’s eyes turn up to the wizard expectantly. He found himself disappointed that there wasn’t even a hint of recognition on Changkyun’s eyes. Hyungwon wondered how someone so smart couldn’t piece it all together.

“Ahh, that… I’m sorry again. I’ll take better care of looking after him,” Changkyun bowed, holding on to Hyungwon a little tighter as he did.

“You had best make sure he doesn’t come back here, Apprentice.”

Anger boiled inside Hyungwon. As much as Changkyun annoyed him at times, the tone the guard used to speak to him make the dog prince furious.

Luckily, Prince Minkyun interjected.  “Yah! Don’t talk to my little brother like that!”

Little brother? As far as Hyungwon knew, Minhyuk only had one little brother and Changkyun looked nothing like him.

Another guard spoke as he forced his partner to bow. “Sorry, Your Highness. He’s new here.”

The guards scampered off and Prince Minhyuk stood in front of Changkyun with a half frown.

“I’ll be off, hyung.” Changkyun bowed.

Prince Minhyuk nodded dismissively before reaching out his hand and patting Hyungwon’s head. “I’m sorry you had to go through that, little guy. It must have been stressful.”

Hyungwon looked into his warm honey colored eyes, his face was so close. If he could just-.

Someone cleared their throat and Prince Minhyuk’s attention flicked to the source of the sound.

And then he was gone, fading into a blur. For a second the world was dark and the only feeling Hyungwon felt were the butterflies rising in his stomach. When he blinked, he was found himself in front of the door to Changkyun’s room.

The dog looked up at the wizard, who had beads of sweat forming on his forehead in awe. The list of questions he’d wanted to ask Changkyun kept growing, and so did the number he knew would go unanswered.

It was easy to tell that the apprentice was dragging his feet as he walked into his room. Silence and awkwardness still hung in the air around them.

Hyungwon didn’t want to look in Changkyun’s direction, but the apprentice had placed him on the ground by his work desk. The prince wasn’t sure what to do, so he just stood there and watched as Changkyun rummaged through his potions rack. Was he giving him another potion to turn back?

The prince waited, not tearing his eyes from Changkyun as the wizard popped open a vial. There was an ominous sizzle coming from its contents which made Hyungwon’s hairs stand on end. In his dog form, Hyungwon crouched, ready to make a run for it if he needed to. That was until he saw Changkyun pull back his sleeve.

Hyungwon couldn’t gasp, but he would have if he were able. The bite he’d given Changkyun earlier when escaping was puffy and inflamed. In some spots, it was still bleeding. He wanted to look away but his eyes were glued to the apprentice. The dog watched as the apprentice poured the dangerous-looking liquid over his wounds.  The sharp, pained exhale that escaped Changkyun’s lips rang in Hyungwon’s ears.

It was his fault that Changkyun was hurt. It was his fault that he’d had to teleport. It was his fault he almost got himself killed. And despite all of that, Changkyun still saved him.

As Changkyun was wrapping up the bite, Hyungwon bowed his head in shame.

Hyungwon wasn’t raised to apologize for his mistakes. He knew he was at fault yet others would always apologize for him. It was perhaps the first time in his life he’d ever felt this guilty. If only his parents could see him now as he uttered the words, “I’m sorry…”

“Don’t worry about it,” Changkyun’s voice seemed strained. “It’s my fault for being careless too. I should have known they would place extra security around the palace.”

Hyungwon looked up at Changkyun carefully. “Are we going to try this plan again?”

The wizard shook his head. “No. There are too many guards around for you to get close to him for the time being. But knowing Minhyuk-hyung, I’m not sure how long this heavy protection will last.”

Hyungwon couldn’t understand what Changkyun meant, but the amused gleam in the apprentice’s eyes told him not to ask. So the prince asked a question he knew would be safe to ask, “Are you sure this spell is temporary?”

The apprentice looked down at him and nodded. “Go take a nap. By the time you wake up, you’re going to be a frog again.”

Hyungwon would never refuse a chance to nap, so he made his way to the rug by Changkyun’s fireplace. Fatigue didn’t hit him until he curled up under the table. His tired eyes slowly blinked as they watched Changkyun working feverishly at his desk. The image to him was somehow peaceful, allowing Hyungwon to drift off into a world of dreams.

* * *

_I'm sorry this is so late but I couldn't hold back updating any longer and I promised I'd update on Wonho's birthday. A lot of the story changed so I have to go back and write that which is why it's taking so long (plus school stress and life stress). The rest of this chapter is super long so I'll come back with a longer update later. Hope you enjoyed please comment your thoughts ^_^_

_Thank you to[cravatty](https://archiveofourown.org/users/averyblue/pseuds/cravatty) for editing <3_

_Also_

_HAPPY BIRTHDAY WONTOKKI <3_


	3. Act 2. Part 2. Too Beautiful to Handle

Hyungwon’s eyes moved back and forth along the paper, following Changkyun’s hand. He had watched the apprentice write notes for a good thirty minutes without interrupting him.

Every now and then, the apprentice would stop and look down at the frog expectantly, nonverbally telling him to spit out whatever question he wanted to ask. But Hyungwon didn’t. The frog was being uncharacteristically silent- purposely putting the apprentice on edge. When Hyungwon didn’t reply, Changkyun huffed and went back to his work.

This cycle repeated itself until Changkyun finally caved. He slammed dropped his pen and pinned his gaze on the frog. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

When Hyungwon said nothing and just kept looking at him, Changkyun sighed. “If you have something to say, just say it.”

Smiling to himself, the frog prince mentally patted himself on the back for managing to make the apprentice tick.

He cleared his throat, looking at the apprentice. “So… earlier, Prince Minhyuk called you his little brother…” he began, carefully eyeing how Changkyun would react.

“Ah,” Changkyun breathed, nodding in acknowledgment. Hyungwon saw the beginnings of a smile on his lips as he continued explaining. “I’m not his actual younger brother. He just considers me a little brother because he’s best friends with my master.”

Hyungwon felt underwhelmed. All that intrigue that had plagued him for the past few hours and this was the answer? The frog waited for Changkyun to say more, but he didn’t.

After a while, Hyungwon couldn’t help but ask, “That’s it?”

“Pretty much.” Changkyun shrugged like it was no big deal, but there was a finality in his tone that made Hyungwon realize he couldn’t dig further into it, most likely because it concerned Changkyun’s oh so elusive master.

But Hyungwon would be damned if he’d let their conversation end there, so he asked about something he’d been wondering since the moment he’d figured out that Changkyun was younger than Prince Minhyuk. “If he’s your hyung, how old are you?”

“Twenty one.”

Hyungwon hadn’t expected Changkyun to answer so directly. The frog jumped backward, eyes bulged wide in shock as he screamed, “You’re younger than me?!”

Changkyun’s brow rose. “Apparently? How old are you?”

“Twenty three.”

“Wow, I didn’t know you were so old,” Changkyun chimed, voice sincere but unable to hide the mischief woven into his words.

“I’ll have you know, twenty three is not that old!” Hyungwon spat.

The mischievous glint in Changkyun’s eyes twinkled brighter, juxtaposing his innocent tone. “When converting frog years to human years, that’s like over a hundred.”

A dumbfounded expression settled onto Hyungwon’s face as he watched the apprentice laugh at his own dumb joke. Most days, living with Changkyun was pleasant enough, but having to live with his stupid sense of humor made Hyungwon worry his webbed fingers would permanently remain curled.

Though there was a part of him that wished he thought of it first.

 

 

 

 

* * *

 

“Explain,” Hyungwon said as he swatted a letter Changkyun received from the palace staff this morning. Its contents should have been groundbreaking and earth shattering for both him and Changkyun, but the latter acted like it didn’t matter.

Changkyun lifted it up and gave it a skim, looking entirely too uninterested.  He snorted at the last line and carelessly tossed the letter down before going back to work.

The frog wasn’t sure how to take this. How could the boy just throw away something as important as this? Changkyun sighed as he probably felt the frog’s glare. “Just ignore it.”

Hyungwon hopped onto the boy’s hand so he would stop writing and finally look at him. “How can I ignore the fact that this letter is saying that Prince Minhyuk is gone?! Are you telling me to ignore the fact that my chance at being human again is gone?!”

“Relax, everything will be okay,” the boy replied, yet Changkyun’s words did nothing to ease the frantic frog.

“Why are you so calm?! You’re hiding something, aren’t you?!” Hyungwon looked up at Changkyun, who’d given up at trying to work and now focused his attention on Hyungwon.

“That letter is just a precautionary measure to make sure people who don’t know Minhyuk-hyung well can’t get near him.” Changkyun explained as if the answer had been completely obvious from the start.

Hyungwon sneered, “What does that even mean?”

“Minhyuk-hyung is still on the palace grounds, but only a handful of people know where he actually is.”

It was so carefully worded that the frog realized that Changkyun was probably messing with him this whole time, “So, you know where he is?”

Of course the boy cleared his throat, doing his best not to flash a knowing smirk as he unfurled a cream colored parchment for Hyungwon to see.

It appeared to be Prince Minhyuk’s daily schedule.

“He trusts you enough to not only tell you where he is but when he’s going to be there?” Hyungwon asked, amused and taken aback by how Prince Minhyuk treated Changkyun. “The poor guy puts so much faith in you, and here you are sneaking around with some shady frog who wants to kiss him.”

The room grew ten times colder as Changkyun looked at him dead in the eyes. “I would never allow you to hurt Minhyuk-hyung.” If Hyungwon had ever feared Changkyun, it would probably be in that moment. He’d hardly had time to recover from the shock when the mood suddenly shifted.Changkyun was now smugly smirking at him. “Besides, you’re no shady frog. You’re just a naive, straight-forward brat who has a heart buried deep, deep, deep inside his chest.”

Though Hyungwon used to banter, he’d felt oddly pleased with what Changkyun had said. But no matter how flattered he was there was no way he was admitting to it. “How dare you call me a brat!? I’m older than you!”

Changkyun shrugged.. “You’re just proving my point.”

“I’m your hyung too! Why don’t you treat me like one?!” Hyungwon was basically whining at this point.

“I’ll treat you like a hyung when you act like one.”

Changkyun spoke to him as if he was a little kid, irking the frog prince even more.

How was he supposed to respond to that? Act like a hyung? What did that even mean? At the thought his mind flashed an image of Royal Guard Shownu. The older man had always tolerated him better than the rest of his staff. He was good company except for the fact that he wasn’t much of a talker. Thinking on it, the kind-hearted, bulky man was probably the closest thing Hyungwon had to a hyung.

Being a hyung like Shownu meant going out of your way to do things for someone younger and by that definition Changkyun had no reason to call him hyung.

However, that didn’t stop Hyungwon from smacking the boy’s hand with his tongue out of pettiness. “I am still older than you.”

“Then stop acting like a kid,” Changkyun playfully teased.

Hyungwon was about to lash out when he paused. Changkyun’s words were eerily similar to what the stupid pink haired wizard had said to him and caused an unsettling feeling to rise in his chest. That moment where he’d become a frog began to replay in his mind.

Hyungwon’s eyes grew glassy as his mind grew clouded. Changkyun noticed how the hyper frog had grown silent. The apprentice cupped his hands, gently picking up and lifting the frog to face level.  

“Don’t take it too seriously, I was only joking with you,” the boy said with a smile.

The frog prince blinked as his mind was pulled back to reality. At this distance, Hyungwon could clearly see the depth of Changkyun’s dimples- he could see his own tiny form reflected in Changkyun’s dark eyes and for whatever reason, it made Hyungwon feel tingly.

He’d been about to yell at the Changkyun for having a horrible sense of humor when the door flung open.

Natural instinct made the boy toss Hyungwon into the base of a house plant.

The frog let out a distressed squeak before he righted himself in the soil, not knowing whether to glare at Changkyun or the man who’d just entered through the door.

The tall man walked right in and moved with the ease of someone who’d been here many times before. His silver hair, which was oddly blue at the tips, flashed in the light, matching the brightness of the smirk he seemed to wear. Beautiful was the first word that popped into Hyungwon’s mind as he took in the full sight of the man. Yes, he was definitely beautiful. His sharp features and gaze could easily enchant anyone who laid eyes on him. But something about him felt off. It wasn’t until Hyungwon heard his voice that he figured out why.

“There you are, Kkukkungie,” the man called out affectionately as he stood in front of a startled Changkyun.

“Wonho-hyung,” Changkyun breathlessly answered. “What are you doing here?”

At that, Wonho set down box he’d been holding. “Just came to drop off a package for my favorite apprentice.”

“H-hyung… why didn’t you send someone else to do it? Don’t you have to look after Minhyuk-hyung?” Changkyun mumbled.

It clicked in Hyungwon’s mind that the’d heard this man speak to the prince before at the fountains. As he shifted in the leaves to get a better view, Hyungwon was greeted with the view of Changkyun’s obvious blush.

“Thanks to you, I don’t have to be in the same place as him to make sure he’s safe,” Wonho tapped the small crystal ball that hung from his necklace.

Changkyun gave Wonho a weak smile. “You flatter me, hyung,”

Wonho stepped closer and took Changkyun’s hand, causing both Changkyun and Hyungwon to hold their breath. The apprentice froze under Wonho’s piercing gaze.

“Someone as wonderful as you deserves to be flattered, Kkukkungie,” Wonho whispered sincerely.

Two pairs of eyes were on Wonho as he lifted Changkyun’s hand to closer to his face- both the frog and the apprentice wondering if he might kiss it. When the guard placed something in Changkyun’s hand instead, Hyungwon saw how the apprentice’s chest seemed to fall. “Tell your parents I say hello,” Wonho called out as he headed out the way he came in.

Changkyun gave a quick nod. “Will do, hyung.”

The boy twirled a piece of candy around in his fingers as he smiled at the closed door. Hyungwon felt annoyed. At what exactly, he wasn’t sure, but he didn’t want to stay stuck in this stupid plant for another second.

“Hey! You! Stop grinning and get me out of this goddamn fern!” The frog prince yelled, snapping Changkyun out of his trance.

Changkyun’s ears were bright red as he shoved the candy in his pocket and picked Hyungwon up and out of the plant. “Sorry about that, I didn’t mean to throw you.”

“Sure, you didn’t,” Hyungwon rolled his bulging eyes. He didn’t give Changkyun the chance to protest. “Who was that?”

Hyungwon asked the question as if he hadn’t figured out that Wonho was Prince Minhyuk’s personal guard. It was worth seeing how the normally straight faced apprentice started to squirm uncomfortably.

“Ah, oh, I figured you would have met eventually…” The tightness in Changkyun’s tone gave that he didn’t want him to have met Wonho. “That’s Minhyuk-hyung’s personal guard.”

“He seems to know you quite well,” the frog prince urged, slightly teasing the boy.

Changkyun turned away from the frog, busying himself with arranging shelves before answering, “I-I guess.”

Hyungwon didn’t need more clues to deduce that the apprentice might have a little crush on the guard. And perhaps that crush could come of some use.

The frog slyly moved to where Changkyun could see him. “You know, since the two of you get along so well, why don’t you distract him while I try to kiss Prince Minhyuk? You could transform me into a butterfly or something.”

“No,” the boy responded with resounding finality in his tone.

“You’re not even going to consider it?” the frog pried, his tone no longer playful.

Changkyun snorted before he glared down at Hyungwon. “I know you’re just doing this to annoy me.”

Hyungwon couldn’t argue with that, as he did enjoy ruffling the apprentice’s feathers. However, it wasn’t the only reason he pressed for it. “You’re right. I do enjoy annoying you, but I genuinely think this could work. I mean you have Prince Minhyuk’s schedule. All you have to do is distract his guard so I can kiss the prince.”

The apprentice shut his eyes and took a deep breath, “…Fine, I agree to work with it.” Before the frog prince could excitedly cheer, the apprentice continued, “But if I have to distract Wonho-hyung, you’re going to talk to Minhyuk-hyung directly.”

Hyungwon blinked in shock. He wasn’t expecting to have this flipped on him. Why was the apprentice trying to make this task harder than it already was?

“I think we’d have better luck with hanging mistletoe around my neck,” the frog deadpanned.  

Changkyun raised a brow. “It’s summer.”

“Exactly,” the straight-faced frog seemed highly unamused now that the tables had turned.

From the way he was biting the insides of his cheeks, Hyungwon could tell that this situation amused Changkyun. But the apprentice showed nothing but sincerity when he spoke. “Minhyuk-hyung is nice and understanding. If you just explain to him your situation, I’m sure he’ll be willing to help you.”

Hyungwon knew Changkyun well enough by now to know that he meant every word of what he’d said. It made the frog sigh. “I’ll think about it,” he said, vaguely dismissing the topic, and moved to his favorite shelf to nap on.

Changkyun only gave him a short acknowledging nod as he picked at the package Wonho had dropped off. His hands slowly pulled at the twine ties, uncovering the basket wrapped in layers of brown paper.  

The prince hadn’t meant to look down at Changkyun, but he could hardly look away as he caught sight of the stern apprentice gleefully gushing over the contents of his package. Hyungwon had received many gifts from his parents, but he couldn’t remember a time he looked as happy as Changkyun did to receive them. In fact, he rarely even smiled when his parents sent him the finest jewels or silks. He couldn’t understand how simple things like jars of herbs and letters could make the boy excitedly hop around his room.

Something familiar caught Hyungwon’s eye and he couldn’t help but cut into Changkyun’s personal moment.

“You’ve read this series?” Hyungwon asked as he hopped down to the desk and placed a webbed-hand on of the shiny book cover.

Changkyun smiled even wider as he pointed to his top shelf. “Of course! It’s my favorite!”

The frog prince couldn’t believe he hadn’t noticed that the apprentice had every copy in the series.

“You have surprisingly good taste.”

The boy raised a brow, almost like he couldn’t believe Hyungwon would even read for fun. “You like it?”

Hyungwon scoffed, slightly offended as he replied, “It’s my favorite, too.”

The boy excitedly began to bombard him with questions and the animosity disappeared. Their conversation went on and on until the young apprentice passed out at his desk.

Hyungwon laughed slightly at the sleeping boy, knowing he would regret sleeping at his desk in the morning. As Hyungwon blew out the dim stubby candle, he noticed how much younger Changkyun looked when he slept. It almost made him wonder how the hell he could have thought the boy was some handsome, older man.

* * *

_Another short chapter but I felt like it couldn't wait since they had the most amazing comeback of all time <3 This next chapter might take a while to write again but I promise to have it to you guys soon. _

_A huge thank you[cravatty](https://archiveofourown.org/users/averyblue/pseuds/cravatty) for editing on short notice XD_


	4. Act 2. Part 3. From Bad to Worse

Twigs snapped and leaves crunched as Hyungwon hiked his way across a familiar forest path. He was back in Gwangju, walking along the dirt path behind his summer home. Cheerful laughter carried through the trees, making it certain to him that the was a dream. A dream he’d had countless times before- one he both hated and loved.

Hyungwon knew he was stuck the moment he saw this scenery. Regardless if he wanted to or not, the prince would always search for the source of that laughter. Sometimes he’d find it. Sometimes he wouldn’t.

Today it seemed he was lucky, finding a bright red scarf peeking through the brush.

The prince stealthily approached. Yet no matter how quiet he’d been, the boy wearing the scarf would always manage to run away. Like every time before, Hyungwon ceaselessly chased after the boy.

Truth be told, the prince knew this wasn’t some random dream. By now, he’d studied it multiple times and came back to the same conclusion - this was his inner desire, his deepest wish.

Years ago, the boy he chased had saved his life and disappeared. The prince had tried his best to find him for many years with zero results. It infuriated Hyungwon that he could remember everything, every little detail, except for the boy’s face.

As the wind blew, the ends of the scarf swept across Hyungwon’s face. This was the closest the prince had been to the boy since he started having this dream. The prince reached out, knowing a moment like this could be shattered in an instant.

His hand was on the boy’s shoulder and his heart was in his throat as he saw the boy slowly start to turn his head.

Hyungwon held his breath expectantly. Would this finally be the moment he’d see his face?

Suddenly, a loud thud shook his whole world and the image before him began to fade. As it all disappeared, slowly encroaching on itself, Hyungwon made out a pair of pale pink lips smiling at him.

The frog prince felt extremely annoyed when the first thing he saw when he woke up was Changkyun’s face ten centimeters from him, separated only by the glass of his jar.

“Wake up, sleepy. It’s time to get to work.” Changkyun’s words were muffled but Hyungwon heard him well enough.

Once he’d confirmed the frog was awake, Changkyun went back to his notebook.

Hyungwon cursed under his breath, whispering a silent, “I hate you,” at the sight of the wizard’s bowed head.

“What was that?” Changkyun asked, paying more attention to whatever was on his desk than to Hyungwon.

“Nothing,” the frog muttered as he hopped out of his jar. Hyungwon had come to learn that even if he was annoyed or tired, it was in his best interest to not provoke a wizard.

“What do we have here?” Hyungwon eyed the sheet which Changkyun was intently studying.

The boy threw out a hand over the page before Hyungwon could make out the words. “I wrote down all the possible topics I could discuss with Wonho-hyung that would distract him long enough to keep his attention from Minhyuk-hyung,” the boy explained as he folded up the paper.

Hiding the part of him which was curious about what the paper might contain, Hyungwon sneered, “You’re such a nerd.”

“I try,” Changkyun retorted dryly before continuing. “Now, do you remember where I told you Minhyuk-hyung would be?”

Of course, the wizard would turn this on him. He always had a way to flip the conversation. The frog prince sighed, thinking how it was odd that another prince would have to hide in his own castle, skirting around his subjects. Changkyun hadn’t told him the whole reasoning behind it all, but he’d made it clear that the prince was hiding for a reason. Hyungwon had learned to just accept it.

“For millionth time, yes. Now can we go,” the frog grumbled as the boy unfolded the paper and scanned it again.

“Hold on. Let me just recheck one last thing-.”

Hyungwon cut him off, hopping onto his hand and looking up at him. “I’m getting the feeling that you’re never going to finish your ‘recheck’, so let’s just go.”

“I still can’t believe you agreed,” Changkyun shook his head, frowning and furrowing his brow as he looked down at Hyungwon. “Why did you agree?”

Hyungwon shrugged. “I might transform back into a human in front of him, so I figured it would be better to explain that before I kiss him.”

“Why did your answer have to be logical?” Changkyun groaned as he threw a hand over his face.

“Come on, Changkyun. You can’t stand here all day,” the frog prince urged as he tugged the apprentice’s fingers between his flippers.

The boy looked at him with a gaze that reminded him of a lost puppy, and Hyungwon wasn’t totally unprepared to take it. The way Changkyun’s lower lip stuck out when he pouted made the frog want to freeze. Not only was the apprentice handsome, but apparently he was also adorable. Almost disgustingly cute enough for the frog prince to give in to his whining. Luckily, years of knowing Jooheon had helped him build immunity to this kind of attack.

“All you have to do is talk to him, it can’t be that hard.”

Had Hyungwon known that he’d jinxed them back then, he’d have kept his mouth shut.

The plan had been going smoothly as they entered the secluded library in the East Wing. Changkyun easily spotted Wonho, who was standing by the armor display and examining his reflection in a suit of armor. Hyungwon did his best to control his laughter at the faces the guard made while checking himself out. Plus, it was equally entertaining to watch Changkyun panic as he had to step closer and closer to Wonho.

The frog had nearly forgotten about his mission and had perched himself onto a shelf to watch Changkyun awkwardly flail as he spoke to Wonho. It wasn’t until Changkyun discretely zapped him with magic that Hyungwon finally headed in the direction of Prince Minhyuk.

As enchanting as he was, Hyungwon was beginning to see why everyone said Prince Minhyuk was strange. The blond sat, scrolling through what looked like a children’s picture book, laughing and smiling as he did. Somehow, Hyungwon still found the scene cute. Seeing him read a children’s book gave the frog prince some confidence. If Prince Minhyuk liked fairytales, he was going to love everything Hyungwon had to say.

But Hyungwon never got a chance to speak.

He was cut off by the sound of a panicked squeak, followed by a bookshelf toppling over, and finally a distressed cry of pain which Hyungwon immediately identified as Changkyun’s.

The frog practically leaped back to where he’d left the apprentice making out the muffled sounds of Prince Minhyuk and Wonho calling out for the boy.

Hyungwon’s eyes bulged as he saw Changkyun pinned to the ground by a heavy-looking bookcase. The apprentice’s face contorted in agony as he tried to lift the book case off of his leg. Both Wonho and Prince Minhyuk pulled his hands away, telling him to relax as they did their best to lift the book shelf off of his foot. Only Hyungwon noticed how the boy used magic to help them.

Even from the distance where he watched the scene unfold, Hyungwon made out the beads of sweat rolling down Changkyun’s face. Hyungwon noticed how the boy bit down on his lower lip to keep from crying out, how his whole body seemed tense even though he was shaking.

As Wonho crouched down and carefully rolled up Changkyun’s pants leg to examine the damage the boy screamed. His left leg was swollen and discolored, confirming it was definitely broken.

Wonho wasted no time as he hoisted the boy into his arms.

“I’ll take him to the infirmary. Please return to your room, Your Highness.” Though the words seemed tame, to Hyungwon they sounded almost like a command.

As Prince Minhyuk opened his mouth to protest, Wonho shook his head, offering the blond prince a small smile. “No one can know you’re still in the palace.” The guard adjusted the apprentice into a more stable hold before he went on, “I promise I’ll return as soon as I can.”  

Prince Minhyuk frowned as he hesitantly stepped away from them and headed to his current quarters, but not before patting the apprentice’s head.

During that time, Changkyun had found Hyungwon perched atop the nearest bookcase, looking down with concern. The apprentice gave him an apologetic smile and nodded his head towards the prince’s retreating form.

The frog knew that the boy was telling him to follow Prince Minhyuk. No better opportunity would present itself since the prince would be alone. Despite knowing that Hyungwon couldn’t follow him.

Hyungwon was afraid for a lot of reasons. He didn’t want to go alone, he didn’t trust himself to succeed without Changkyun there. But his fear for Changkyun was far greater.

It was almost like an instinct, the way the frog trailed behind Wonho, keeping his eyes on the apprentice. A confused-looking Changkyun raised a brow at him as he followed the guard, not caring if anyone noticed that a frog was on the loose.

Hyungwon’s pace only picked up as he helplessly watched the boy pass out in Wonho’s arms. He’d managed to follow them until Wonho kicked open the doors of the infirmary, which slammed shut on Hyungwon’s face seconds later.

The frog stayed by the door until he felt his skin dry up, He had no choice but to return to Changkyun’s room and wait.

* * *

 

It was either really late at night or really early in the morning when Hyungwon heard the door swing open. Somehow, he knew it was Changkyun, but he clearly wasn’t alone. From the shadows cast by the dim lamp light burning in the room, he made out a tall, muscular figure carrying the boy back to his bed.

Hyungwon was almost sure that it was a certain silver-blue haired guard they knew. That didn’t stop him from hopping out of the jar and hopping to the edge of Changkyun’s desk where he could see the small sitting area by Changkyun’s bed so he could check. The frog wasn’t surprised when his suspicions were confirmed.

“Are you sure you don’t want to stay at the infirmary tonight?” Wonho asked, not failing to imply that he wished Changkyun had stayed there. The guard stood imposingly with his hands folded behind his back as he looked down at Changkyun, who had somehow managed bundle up even with his left leg awkwardly hanging in the air- likely held up by magic.

From what little peeked out through the blanket, Hyungwon saw the boy shake his head. “They spent more than enough time patching my leg up. You and I both know I’ll be fine.”

Wonho frowned, looking and sounding unconvinced. “If you say so, Kkukkungie. I don’t like seeing you like this. Are you sure you don’t at least want me to stay with you?”

“No!” Changkyun nearly yelled as his body jerked forward causing both Hyungwon and Wonho to freeze with surprise. The wizard leaned back on his pillows moments later, his face flushed as he avoided Wonho’s gaze. “I mean, no. It’s fine, hyung. Really. Please. You’ve helped me enough.”

The boy had burrowed into his sheets as best he could and Wonho sighed, taking it as his queue to leave.

“Good night, Kkukkungie. I’ll be here to check on you in the morning,” the guard called back towards the blanketed boy.

Changkyun weakly replied as he turned his head away from the door, “Good night, Wonho-hyung.”

The room felt unnaturally silent after the door closed.

The frog prince dwelled on his thoughts for a few moments after Wonho’s departure. There was an overwhelming sense of relief that spread over him, mostly because Changkyun seemed okay. However, there was another part of him that felt relief at the fact that Wonho left. Having another person in Changkyun’s room felt like someone was invading his territory, and as a prince, that feeling was as close to a threat of war as you could get. Or at least, that was Hyungwon’s reasoning behind why he couldn’t fully seem to like the silver-haired guard.

When the frog saw the lump on the bed shuffle, he wasted no time hopping across the room and climbing Changkyun’s bedside table.

The frog smacked the lump with his tongue. Even though he wasn’t, Hyungwon sounded annoyed as he asked, “Do you have any idea how close I was to kissing Prince Minhyuk today?”

The boy shifted and sat up, looking down at the frog with wide eyes. “You’re still here?!”

“Why do you sound so surprised?”

“I figured you would have followed Minhyuk-hyung since he’d be alone…” the boy’s quiet, low voice faded out as if he still couldn’t believe it.

Hyungwon didn’t like that the boy had assumed he’d just up and leave. Though the prince didn’t quite understand it, he knew that Changkyun was more than just the only person could help him. The would-be-wizard had somehow become his friend. But like hell Hyungwon would let him know that. “You expect me to have done it alone? Didn’t you promise to be there to make sure I didn’t hurt him or whatever?”

Changkyun blinked, as if he hadn’t expected Hyungwon to say that. His mouth hung open but it was clear to Hyungwon that no words would come out.

The frog prince quickly moved on before the air grew stale in Changkyun’s silence.

“How exactly did you hurt yourself anyway? Those bookcases don’t just randomly fall.”

At that, the boy sunk into his bed, pulling the sheets over his face as he mumbled a reply.

It was a nearly inaudible string of words, but Hyungwon had impeccable hearing. He picked up exactly what Changkyun had said and he wondered if he’d heard correctly.

“You leaned against a bookcase and it fell over?”

Changkyun covered his whole head with the blanket. He groaned as he tried to drown out the laughing frog.

“I can’t believe you!” Hyungwon chortled. “How? How can one person be that clumsy?”

This went on for a good five minutes before the howling and giggling died down, allowing Changkyun to shout back at the hysterical frog, “This is why I told you talking to him was a bad idea!”

Hyungwon only started to laugh harder. Tears were spilling from his eyes as he seemed to be in physical pain. “I had n-no clue that-that you would manage to hurt yourself t-trying to be cool.” He quickly sobered up, focusing on the frowning apprentice. “You’re going to be out of commission, aren’t you? You can’t get around much with a broken foot.” Which meant the boy wouldn’t be able to help him in case something went wrong.

The wizard’s face showed no sign of concern regarding the matter. He simply pointed to his leg and said, “I’ll be as good as new in no time. A broken leg should take me about two weeks to heal up.”

“Doesn’t that usually take months?” The prince knew the boy’s leg had sustained more than a simple stress fracture.

Changkyun replied, deadpan, “I’m a wizard. The whole doctoral staff here is full of wizards.”

Hyungwon didn’t take the hint, causing the boy to roll his eyes.

“It means I heal at a much faster rate,” he explained slowly, as if Hyungwon wouldn’t understand otherwise.

The frog, of course, took offense to this. “Don’t sass me just cause you can heal with your fancy magic.”

Changkyun sighed. “I’m too tired to deal with you right now. We’ll talk about this in the morning.” With that the boy snuggled into his sheets, and this time Hyungwon could tell he wasn’t going to wake up.

“Rude…” the frog half-heartedly muttered as he hopped his way over to his jar. The edges of his lips threatened to curl upwards. If Changkyun was ready to argue with him, it meant the boy was just fine.

* * *

_I said I was gonna post one long chapter but I lied XD I'm just going to break this into parts XD I was going to post this sooner but my computer crashed and I managed to recover everything luckily TwT It's hell week for me but it was Jennifer's birthday last weekend and I wanted to update for it XD Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter ^_^ I'll see you all hopefully in two weeks ^_^_

_THANK YOU[cravatty](https://archiveofourown.org/users/averyblue/pseuds/cravatty) for being the best person in the world and editing this for me and listening to to me whine <3_


	5. Act 2. Part 4. Knock, Knock, I'm Going In Now

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HAPPY 2 YEAR ANNIVERSARY MONSTA X <3 I never thought I'd fall this hard for you seven beautiful boys when we first got acquainted but I'm glad I got to know you. I love you guys more and more with each passing day. Here's to many, many more years together <3

Hyungwon was seriously considering having Changkyun seal up the door to his room.

The amount of times the palace staff shuffled in and out of Changkyun’s room that morning was ridiculous. Even more ridiculous was the armful of gifts they brought in with them.  

Hyungwon could no longer see past the shelves as a mountain of books, cards, and flowers now filled most of Changkyun’s room. Thankfully, the boy’s workspace remained clear of any unnecessary junk. But there was hardly anymore room for gifts and the servants kept pestering Changkyun.

It got to the point where doctors had banned entry to Changkyun’s room just so he could get some rest without being disturbed.

Despite the fact that Changkyun was now peacefully resting, the frog hopped out of his jar and made his way over to Changkyun’s now occupied bedside table. He watched the way the boy pretended to sleep for a few moments before he asked, “Are you dying?”

The wizard-in-training snapped his eyes open to look over at Hyungwon. His lips curled downwards as he sharply breathed, “What?”

The frog gestured to the room. “It hasn’t even been a full day since you broke your leg, and now your room is so full it might explode.”

Changkyun laughed softly and gave a small shrug as he boasted, “What can I say? I have people who care about me.”

“But so much? And in such a short amount of time?” The frog prince pressed the apprentice for any form of clarification.

However, the boy didn’t speak. He wore a smug smirk, looking down at Hyungwon as if the answer was obvious.

It didn’t take too long for the frog prince to deduce that there could only be one thing which allowed weird and bizarre things to occur. “Magic? Seriously?”

“It’s the reason that our postage system is top notch,” Changkyun boasted with a smile. His face returned shifted to something more contemplative as he noted, “Something’s bothering you, isn’t it?”

Hyungwon didn’t hesitate to voice his concerns. “The staff keeps coming into your room and I’m pretty sure you’re the only person who would react well to a talking frog.”

Changkyun gave him a reassuring nod. “I’ll tell them to stop coming.”

They were interrupted by a knock at the door.

“Kkukkungie~,” Wonho’s voice rang through the door.

Hyungwon gave Changkyun a judging look, knowing that the boy wasn’t going to bar Wonho from entry.

“He’s a friend,” Changkyun justified as Wonho knocked on the door again.

The frog prince rolled his eyes. “Hide me before you let him in. There’s no way I’ll make it back to my jar in time for you to answer.”

Changkyun picked him up and put him on the unoccupied side of his bed. He hurriedly reshuffled his bed before calling out, “Come in!”

Hyungwon was tucked to where he could see most of everything, though he doubted Wonho could see him.

He watched the beautiful bastard stroll into the room as if it was his, like he had done many times before. “I have some mail for you,” he stated as he got closer to Changkyun.

“There’s more?” the wizard groaned.

Wonho gave a half smile which faltered as he spoke, “It’s not exactly a gift.” The guard pulled out a pastel pink envelope from his back pocket, and Changkyun paled.

Changkyun cursed. “He’s going to kill me, isn’t he?”

“The letter won’t kill you… I think,” the man failed to reassure the panicking wizard, who only clutched the letter even tighter.

Changkyun’s hands shook as he looked down at the neatly penned cursive which spelled out his name. “Hyung… it’s probably best if I open this alone…”

“Right, ah, well.” Wonho, who had been about to burn a hole into the paper with his glare, returned to reality. “I just dropped it off ‘cause no one else really wanted to. Rest well, Kkukkungie. I’ll come back later.”

He patted the boy’s head, giving him one last weak smile before heading out.

Changkyun sighed after Wonho shut the door.

“What’s that?” Hyungwon inquired, willingly ruining the silent moment Changkyun was having as he flipped the envelope in his hands over and over.

“Just a letter,” Changkyun explained weakly.

“Just a letter wouldn’t make you look like you’re going to throw up. Why aren’t you opening it?” Hyungwon sneered.

Changkyun sighed before he professed, “You’ll see once I open it… For now let’s just cover our ears.”

Hyungwon didn’t have time to ask what Changkyun meant. The wizard-in-training snapped his fingers and Hyungwon suddenly felt something fluffy cover his tympanum.

The frog could only see Changkyun mouth the words ‘Can you hear me?’

When he shook his head, Changkyun gave a small nod and peeled back the cards seal.

Though Hyungwon had guessed the letter wasn’t normal, he didn’t expect it to flutter into the shape of a mouth and start yelling at Changkyun. The earmuffs blocked out the sound of card but Hyungwon could definitely still the vibrations.  

He wasn’t sure how much time had passed as he watched Changkyun’s face contort with shame. The boy had never looked so small and helpless before – not even when he’d had a bookcase fall on him. Just knowing that made Hyungwon angry at the sender. It made him wonder what kind of jerk would yell at someone who’d just gotten injured instead of sending a get well soon card. Though the card wasn’t done yelling, the frog prince flung his tongue and smacked it back to its lifeless form.

The apprentice gazed down at him and blinked with surprise.

“Sorry. My tongue slipped,” Hyungwon said as he yanked off his earmuffs.

Changkyun gave him a confused smile before he started laughing. “Thanks… My master isn’t too happy about the fact that I hurt myself…”

Hyungwon cleared his throat, trying to wave off the heavy atmosphere, “You’re allowed to screw up. You’re only twenty-one,”

“Thanks, Hyungwon,” Changkyun smiled down at him, showing off his dimples yet again.

Hyungwon felt his throat constrict as his heartbeat increased. Those dimples were too dangerous and if Hyungwon looked at them any longer he feared he’d do something embarrassing.

To keep that from happening Hyungwon tucked himself into the opposite side of Changkyun’s bed.

“Enough thanking me. Go to sleep. If the doctors walk in here and check on you, they’re going to yell at you for not sleeping and I don’t think I can shut them up as easily as the card,” Hyungwon lectured.

“Goodnight, Hyungwon,” Changkyun greeted, though the sun still peeked through the curtains.

Choking back a laugh, Hyungwon only hummed in reply as he curled into the blankets.

* * *

 

Hyungwon had only experienced deserts through books and paintings but his dream felt eerily real. The heat and dryness ate at his skin while he trudged through a sea of endless sand. His mind was determined to reach the oasis a short distance away but his body was giving up on him. The stale air picked at the moisture in his lungs and throat drying them to the point he felt like he couldn’t breathe. His whole body shook as he rasped to take a breath. His tried to picture what it might feel like to jump in the cool oasis.

Suddenly he was doused in cold water, being pulled from the dream back to reality where a frightened looking Changkyun was holding a now empty glass.

“Why did you splash me?” Hyungwon asked, trying not to sound too annoyed that he’d been woken up.

Changkyun’s voice was like a low whisper, carefully layered with worry. “I woke up to the sound of you rasping. Your skin looked so dry. This,” he gestured to the glass, “was the first thing I thought of.”

“Why couldn’t you just magic me all the way to my jar?” Hyungwon asked, moving towards Changkyun, trying to ignore the now soggy pillow.

The apprentice took a breath and pointed in the direction of his workspace, where Hyungwon’s jar would have been.

However, the frog was greeted by what he thought was a barricade of books and boxes. The sheer size of it was so intimidating that the frog prince knew there was no way he was getting back to his jar.

He looked back at Changkyun and questioned, “I thought you said you would tell them to stop coming.”

“I was asleep,” Changkyun stated, sounding slightly apologetic.

Normally, Hyungwon might have gotten angry for not getting things to be his way, but he couldn’t find it in himself to be mad at Changkyun.

But even if he had forgiven him, that didn’t erase the fact that beyond that wall of books was Hyungwon’s jar. The one that sustained his life as a frog.

The frog prince felt the water which had slash on himself start to dry.  “I’m going to shrivel up and die, aren’t I?”

The apprentice clicked his tongue. He reached out to pat Hyungwon on the head with his pointer finger. “Don’t be so dramatic. I’ll think of something.”

Hyungwon didn’t know how Changkyun could possibly think up a solution. For a while Hyungwon thought the boy had fallen asleep with his eyes closed, but suddenly Changkyun pulled out a pen and paper from his drawer. He began hastily writing out a letter to someone named Jihoon when a knock sounded at the door.

The frog quickly hid under the covers, which were thankfully still cool and wet. He peeked out through the shadows of the fabric to where he could still see Changkyun.

“Knock, knock, I’m coming in now,” a familiar voice sounded muffled by the thick door.

Hyungwon poked his head out further. He’d know that voice anywhere, even if he hadn’t heard it in the palace before. Well… not THIS palace.

“Jooheon~,” Changkyun affectionately called out to the man who’d just entered the room, indicating to Hyungwon this was definitely not the first time he’d met the ambassador.

Jooheon seemed to be equally, if not more familiar with the boy as he rushed over to him. “Changkyunnie,” he spoke tenderly, until the tone shifted. Jooheon sounded almost mocking as he pointed to the boy’s leg, “So, how did you hurt yourself this time?”

Changkyun pushed down on the mattress with the heels of his hands to raise himself to a sitting position, his leg still levitating under some kind of magic. “I thought they told you a bookcase fell on my leg.”

Jooheon’s nose crinkled as he frowned. He sounded unconvinced when he spoke, “As easy as that is to believe, I know you better than that. You’re hiding something from me and I’m going to find out what.”

“I’m not hiding anything!” The defensiveness behind Changkyun’s voice gave him away.

Jooheon just stared at him, pinning the boy with a stern, waiting gaze with a powerful charisma that Hyungwon didn’t know Jooheon was capable of.  

The stare chipped away at the apprentice’s defensive walls and the boy caved.  Changkyun looked down at the fingers he was twiddling in his lap as he answered. “I was trying to talk to Wonho-hyung about something and I may or may not have leaned on that book case…”

“Holy shit, Changkyun. I thought you were over that dumb crush,” Jooheon nearly yelled as he shot up from the stool he’d pulled up. Both his hands were clapped over his mouth in disbelief as he looked down at the boy whose ears were starting to turn red.

“I am.” Changkyun’s tone rose a little too defensively before he paused. His shoulders hunched as he sighed in defeat. “I might have fucked up a little, okay?”

Jooheon sighed before he sat down again. “A little?” He asked, gesturing to all the gifts that were piled across the room. “You realize all these gifts had made you the talk of two nations?”

Changkyun’s jaw went slack, his eyes roved his room before he looked back at the ambassador. “These can’t be all from him…”

“Not everything, but a lot of it is from him,” Jooheon explained before he went further, a dubious smile on his lips. “Your little incident gave Lord Wonwoo quite a fright. So, he sent you a dowry… again.”

“It’s not a dowry!” Changkyun screamed as he threw his hands up in exasperation.

Jooheon shook his head. “I know that and you know that. But to normal people this many gifts seem excessive for a simple get well soon present.”

Changkyun buried his face in his hands and grumbled, “That’s all it really is though. Wonwoo is just too nice…”

“You know, I heard he actually likes you quite a bit,” Jooheon began, and Changkyun looked like he wanted nothing more than to have it end.

Hyungwon wasn’t sure why he felt so proud when the boy gave Jooheon a completely disinterested expression.

“Jooheon, we’ve talked about this. I like Wonwoo, but only as a friend,” Changkyun insisted, putting heavy emphasis on the word friend.

The red-haired ambassador unfolded his crossed legs and leaned over the gap between where he sat and bed-ridden Changkyun.

From this distance, Hyungwon could clearly make out the genuine concern on Jooheon’s face. If the loose way the two had conversed didn’t give it away, Hyungwon could see that Changkyun was a close friend of Jooheon’s, which made the prince wonder why the hell he’d never heard about Jooheon from Changkyun and vice versa.

“Look I get you like Wonho, but Lord Wonwoo really, really likes you. If you considered him, it might be good for you,” Jooheon urged, his eyes watching, and Changkyun gave no sign of wavering.

“No.” Changkyun didn’t even pause as he responded. He returned Jooheon’s waiting gaze with his own determined stare. “I’d be using him if I did that and it would make me feel uncomfortable. Just like all these gifts are uncomfortable. It’s just too much and it makes me feel burdened. Plus, how am I supposed to court someone I don’t love?”

Jooheon sighed then smiled. The ambassador leaned back to rest on the chair as he reached out a hand to ruffle Changkyun’s already messy hair. “Forever the hopeless romantic,” Jooheon cooed and the tone of the conversation immediately switched its beat. “So, I’m guessing you want me to help you send these back?”

“Please? Tell him thank you for all the gifts and well wishes, but it’s just too much for a broken leg.”

“Consider it done,” Jooheon said with a nod. A fresh smile spread across his face as he took a look around. “You know, Hoshi is going to die laughing when he finds out Wonwoo got rejected again.”

 _Again?_ Hyungwon was stunned. _This had happened before?_

“Can you not put it that way? You’re just going to make me feel worse,” Changkyun implored as he frowned.

But Jooheon was not finished teasing the boy. “Prince Joshua and High Wizard Seokmin were hoping you’d say yes this time.”

Hyungwon was two seconds away from jumping out of the blanket. Prince Joshua and his wizard friend were trying to set Changkyun up with this guy too? Why the hell was Changkyun so popular?

“Thanks for make me feel so wonderful,” Changkyun replied dryly.  

The ambassador’s smile faded and he gave the boy one last sincere gaze, “I’m just hoping maybe you’ll consider him and move on.”

Changkyun shook his head again, “Maybe one day, but not now.”

Jooheon nodded and got up from his chair. “If you need anything, ask someone to summon me. I’ll be here sorting out the whole mess back home.”

“Good luck,” Changkyun gave him a sympathetic smile. Suddenly the boy’s eyes lit up with a spark and he dove for the letter he’d written earlier. “Before you head out, could you send this to Jihoon? It’s urgent.”

The ambassador took the letter from Changkyun’s hands and patted his head one last time. “I’ll send it right as I go down. Rest and heal up, Changkyun-ah. I’ll come visit again tomorrow.”

The moment the ambassador had left the room, Hyungwon popped out of the sheets. “How do you know Jooheon?”

Changkyun’s brows only furrowed as he gave Hyungwon a confused look, “How do _I_ know Jooheon? How do _you_ know Jooheon?”

Hyungwon knew the boy would find a way to turn this on him. The frog prince paused before he ranted, “He’s a friend of a friend of mine, he doesn’t really know me that well. But I know he’s an ambassador, which has nothing to do with herbology. How on earth do you know him?”

 _How on Earth do you know who Jooheon is and not who I am?_ Hyungwon thought.

Changkyun seemed amused enough by his question to reply. “Minhyuk-hyung always dragged Jooheon around with him when he was here. Naturally since we were closer in age, we talked a bit and surprisingly had a lot in common.” He shrugged as he stated, “It was nice to have someone else from Gwangju to talk to.”

Hyungwon felt like someone had tossed him onto the floor. He thought he’d heard wrong, so he asked dumbly, “You’re from Gwangju?”

Changkyun nodded nonchalantly.

“Then what are you doing here?” Hyungwon couldn’t help but make the question sound more accusatory than necessary.

In a split second, there was ice in Changkyun’s gaze. “Because I’m a wizard, I’m safer in Raemi than I’ll ever be there.”

The boy turned onto his side, facing away from Hyungwon.

Hyungwon wasn’t sure why the boy reacted the way he did, but the frog was still too stunned to process any new information. It was still hard to wrap his brain around the fact that Changkyun was from his country, that it almost didn’t register that the boy didn’t seem to like Gwangju.

* * *

 

“What is that thing?” Hyungwon skeptically inquired as he saw Changkyun hold up a soft looking clear orb in his hands. The frog prince had been woken from his short eight-hour nap as he tried to sleep away the silence that had come between him and the young wizard.

Changkyun had prodded him awake, acting as if their conversation just hours earlier didn’t happen.

“This is the key to your survival,” Changkyun claimed as he guided the object closer to the frog.  

The blank look Hyungwon gave the boy was a signal for him to explain further.

The young wizard sighed as he went on, “I had a friend who worked on the elixir you float in. He knew the recipe and I asked him to contain it into small pills.”

“Can I trust this?” Hyungwon questioned, slightly hesitant to consume something that was made by someone he didn’t know.

Changkyun’s expression didn’t falter, but his lips curved upwards. “You trust me, don’t you?”

Hyungwon was taken aback by the question. But even more by how easily he was about to answer ‘Of course’. It was true that he trusted the young wizard, however he’d never felt this level of blind faith before. Part of Hyungwon felt unsure if he could trust Changkyun, especially because of his obvious dislike of their home country. But this was Changkyun- the boy who’d saved him and helped him along the way despite having no clue who he was.

Unsure of how to reply, Hyungwon simply gave the boy a nod.

“Then eat it,” Changkyun prompted, holding out the pill towards Hyungwon again.

The frog prince reached out his tongue, wrapping it around the pill and pulling it into his mouth.

As the pill burst, it filled his mouth with a cool, refreshing feeling that spread throughout his body- finding a way to coat him from the inside out with magic. His hunger and mild suffocation dissipated immediately afterwards.

“It worked!” the frog exclaimed, feeling instantly more alive.

Changkyun’s face lit up with a smile. “This should last you eighteen hours. We have enough pills to last you a little over a week.”

Enough time for Changkyun’s leg to heal.

“That’s good,” Hyungwon awkwardly remarked as he tilted his head to look out of the thick curtains. The brightly glowing sun in the sky made the frog wonder what time it was.

All of a sudden, the door swung open without a courtesy knock.

“I thought the palace staff was told not to enter my room during these hours,” Changkyun cautioned whoever had just entered the room. The boy’s muscles tensed as if ready to fight, telling Hyungwon that this tall stranger wasn’t someone Changkyun knew.

The man was handsome, or at least Hyungwon guessed he was. His face was hidden behind the long black bangs of what Hyungwon assumed was a poorly picked wig. From the man’s jawline, Hyungwon could tell there was something familiar about him, but he couldn’t quite tell what until the man spoke.

“Relax, Changkyunnie. It’s just me,” Prince Minhyuk greeted as he pulled off his wig.

Changkyun sat up, happily gazing at his guest. “Minhyuk-hyung? Why were you dressed like that?”

“Wonho wouldn’t let me come visit you because he said something about it being ‘too risky’ that I’d ‘get caught’. And look you couldn’t even tell it was me in this wig, could you?” The blond-haired prince praised himself, not failing to mock Wonho in the process.

 _Not until you opened your mouth_ , Hyungwon thought.

“That’s nice you came to visit me, hyung, but I’ll be fine in no time,” Changkyun said, trying to rationalize what might happen if someone were to come into the room and see Prince Minhyuk.

The prince however, was adamant. “It’s tradition! I always read you a bedtime story when you’re sick.”

“Hyung… I’m a little old for that now…” Changkyun murmured, knowing that his words would likely fall on deaf ears.

“Nonsense,”  Prince Minhyuk objected, sitting on the chair by Changkyun’s bed. “Now, how about the story of the Prince and the Rabbit?”

Changkyun deeply exhaled as he sunk into his pillow. “My favorite.”

Hyungwon watched as Minhyuk animatedly explained a tale about a beautiful, poor young servant who was cursed because of his good looks to live his life as a rabbit. He was about to be killed off for dinner by some hunting party until a peaceful prince, stopped them, claiming the rabbit was too beautiful to be killed. So the prince saved his life and kept him as a companion. Then one day the rabbit kissed the prince and turned back into the beautiful man.

Minhyuk skipped over parts of the ending, as Changkyun had already fallen into deep slumber.

“Always works,” Minhyuk whispered, leaning over to press a kiss onto Changkyun’s forehead. He brushed Changkyun’s hair for a few moments before he got up and left.

The frog prince had found the moment too touching to ruin, but part of him kept telling him that he could have totally kissed Minhyuk at this distance if he’d leaped.

* * *

 

“Ah!” a short cry of pain tickled Hyungwon’s tympanum. He wiggled out from his side of the bed, slowly mustering the energy to crack open an eye and look over to see Changkyun working at his desk. Something he should definitely not be doing.

Thankfully most of the presents had left the room, allowing Hyungwon to hop over to Changkyun’s desk as fast as he could.

Changkyun sat at his desk, nursing a burn which was turning the back of hand red. Piles and piles of thick ivory paper which seemed far too official for a mere apprentice to be handling lay in heaps before him.

As he climbed his way up to the desk, Hyungwon half groaned, half croaked, “What are you doing?”

Chankgyun’s shoulders stiffened from the shock before he looked down and greeted him. “You’re awake.”

Hyungwon squinted his eyes and blinked at the boy who now began to hurriedly shuffle the papers to one side of his desk. There was a spilled steaming liquid which covered the left side of Changkyun’s desk, encircling a stamp engraved with a signature that looked nothing like Changkyun’s.

Perching himself atop a shelf, he asked again, more firmly. “What are you doing, Changkyun?”

“Finishing up a few things for the wizard summit,” Changkyun’s nonchalance didn’t bode well with Hyungwon.

As the boy smiled, the frog frowned.

Hyungwon didn’t miss the dark circles which rimmed Changkyun’s eyes, nor did he miss how the boy seemed to barely hold himself up.

“You’re a going to be healer, Changkyun. Don’t you know better than to push yourself like this while you’re still recovering,” the frog prince chided, hoping that the boy would be reasonable for once, but fully aware of his stubborn pride.

“I have to finish-” Changkyun’s hand was about to reach to move him but the frog shot back before he could.

“I’m sure it can wait!” Hyungwon yelled, swatting Changkyun’s hand away with his flipper.

The apprentice sighed. “No, it can’t.”

“You’re just stamping these, right?” Hyungwon asked as he slapped the papers he was standing on.

Changkyun nodded into the hand that was massaging his forehead.

The frog prince looked down at the papers, skimming their contents. Invitations? Why was a prince making a herbologist stamp some shitty invitations?

“I’ll finish stamping these, so go sleep,” Hyungwon said, hopping over to the stamp.

“But-”

Hyungwon wasn’t going to let him argue. “No buts! If your dark circle sink any lower they’re going to touch the floor.”

The apprentice’s cheekbones rose as he laughed.  “Honestly, you’re just as bad as Kih-” Changkyun stopped abruptly, his lips frozen on the syllable they were about to utter.

“As bad as what?” The frog prince prodded, leaning in and watching as the apprentice’s face straightened out.

Changkyun’s face was void of emotion as he dodged Hyungwon’s question with a meager, “Nothing.”  

Hyungwon sighed. There he went. Being all cryptic again. For the millionth time, Hyungwon repressed the urge to question the boy. “Go sleep. You burned your hand because you can barely keep your eyes open. On top of that, you’re still recovering even if you say your foot is all better.”

The apprentice lowered his head, trying to cover his reddening face. He gave Hyungwon a sheepish look before moving to get up. The frog prince watched as the wizard hobbled his groggy form to his bed.

Hyungwon waited to hear Changkyun plop down onto the mattress before he turned to the invitations.

It took Hyungwon less than an hour to finish the rest of the letters, each one seemed addressed to some foreign royalty. What surprised Hyungwon was that Gwangju didn’t show up on the list.

He checked twice to make sure he read all of them correctly, but there was still no letter to royalty in Gwangju. He was about to give up until he found a sealed letter tucked into one of Changkyun’s notes that was addressed to him. Well, rather to the Crown Prince of Gwangju, according to the envelope.

Frog or not, Hyungwon was still the Crown Prince of Gwangju. Despite that fact, the frog still looked over to where Changkyun slept, making sure the boy wouldn’t suddenly wake before tore the letter open.

_Dear Prince Hyungwon,_

_I’m writing you this letter because I received news that you accepted my invitation to the festival. I am delighted have you as a guest. However, I also have urgent business to discuss with you._

_You may or may not be aware of the sudden influx of refugees from your country into mine. Most, if not all of them, are of magical decent._

_It has come to my attention that Gwangju has not progressively advocated for the welfare of its magical citizens since the signing of the Wizarding Accords between the seven nations. This is concerning, since it means you provide virtually no form of protection or security for your magical people._

_We must discuss this matter post haste upon your arrival._

_Lee Minhyuk_ _  
_ _Crown Prince of Raemi_

_P.S. I’m not sure if I’m allowed to tell you, but our neighbor seems to be benefitting from your country’s inaction._

_P.P.S. Prince Joshua is hosting a wizard summit but he’s unsure if he should invite you or not because your country doesn’t really have any sort of wizard rights._

_P.P.P.S. Stop picking on Jooheon >:[ _

Hyungwon read the letter over twice, digesting its contents. This kind of politics wasn’t really his forte. His parents had let him work on a few domestic assignments but he hardly ever dealt with matters like this. He wasn’t even aware this was an issue.

In his short few weeks in the kingdom of Raemi, Hyungwon had seen how magic influenced the culture here, especially how much it improved the quality of life. There was nothing like this back at his palace and he wondered why, considering most other kingdoms were akin to magic.

When he returned home, if he returned home, Hyungwon silently vowed to get to the bottom of why wizard rights were ignored in his country.

For now, he was stuck, hiding the letter away to where he could collect it in the future.

The morning of the following day, Changkyun was back to working in his study, his pace seemingly unaffected despite the fact he had to lug around his broken leg.

Hyungwon had been silent for most of the morning, mulling over the events of the yesterday. The letter had made him wonder why that kind of thing was in Changkyun’s possession. He couldn’t help but wonder if the boy knew who Prince Hyungwon was. It was partly impulse and partly curiosity that pushed Hyungwon to ask, “So what do you think of the prince of Gwangju?”

Changkyun looked up at the frog who was perched on the shelf above the one he was rearranging. He raised a brow and pursed his lip.

“Well, Jooheon always complains about him. He says the guy is a lazy asshat who just bosses him around,” Changkyun imparted with a bluntness that hit Hyungwon like a punch.

The frog prince tried to not choke on air as he weakly responded, “Is that so?”

“Personally, after some of the things he’s done, I’d like to give that guy a piece of my mind,” Changkyun spat icily as glared off in the distance.

It made Hyungwon worry about what would happen when Changkyun figured out who he was.

Changkyun’s expression grew profoundly sad as he spoke again, “More than that though, I wish he would do something about the abductions.”

Hyungwon hoped he’d heard wrong. “Abductions?”

There was a darkness in Changkyun’s eyes that Hyungwon couldn’t identify. “Look… I probably shouldn’t be telling you this, but Gwangju has little to no protection for its wizard population. Magic makes wizards easy to track. Especially young wizards who have no idea how to control their powers. There are bad people who come to Gwangju and kidnap wizards and sell them.”

Hyungwon felt out of breath. All this information was overwhelming. People in his country were being abducted and he didn’t even know about it, yet Changkyun did. “How do you know all that?”

“Because I was kidnapped,” Changkyun stated, his voice cracking slightly.

Hyungwon gasped as dread washed over him.

Thankfully the frog prince didn’t have to ask Changkyun to continue.

“My master rescued me and the rest of the magical folk in that caravan. My parents knew I would be safer in Raemi with my master than I’d ever be back in Gwangju,” Changkyun recalled.

Hyungwon tried to digest the situation. How come no one had ever voiced how bad things were for wizards in his country? Who had even made it this way? The frog prince vowed he’d find answers for this when he was back in his true form.

Changkyun had just finished up his last shelf when he added, “Even on my rare visits home, I have to have Wonho-hyung escort me there and back.”

An unknown heavy feeling bubbled inside Hyungwon. Wonho got to take Changkyun back to his parents. He got to meet Changkyun’s parents. There was also the fact the road to Gwangju from Raemi was a long one. It likely meant a lot of alone time... together.

Hyungwon’s mind began to wander in the worst ways as he thought of all the reasons Changkyun could have developed his crush on the man.

A panicked knock on the door cut through his thoughts.

Changkyun quickly hid the frog prince in a hanging plant as gently as he could.

“Come in!” the wizard yelled and watched a young boy distressed looking boy lugging Wonho over his shoulder.

“P-pardon my intrusion,” the panicked servant boy strutted. “Si-sir Wonho has collapsed due to exhaustion and we cannot keep him in the infirmary because there are inspections today and ugh… you know… he’s not supposed to be here.”

“Place him on my bed. I’ll take care of him,” Changkyun directed, moving to his drawers and pulling out random vials and jars.

The servant boy did as he was told and placed the heavy guard onto Changkyun’s freshly tucked sheets. He stood around silently, watching Changkyun mix various things into a bowl.

“Oh, right. You can go,” Changkyun dismissed the boy and continued working.

The moment the boy left the room, Hyungwon called down to Changkyun. “Are you just going to leave me up here?”

The wizard didn’t seem to hear him as he persisted with whatever he was doing.

“Changkyun! Get. Me. Down,” the frog prince enunciated, hoping the wizard-in-training might look up.

But it was to no avail. Changkyun worked like he was in a trance.

The frog prince grew more and more annoyed by the second. He hopped onto Changkyun’s head as he was walking towards Wonho with a bowl in his hands.

“What the hell, Hyungwon?” Changkyun snarled but didn’t move to peel the frog off his head.

“I need something to land on. Too bad it was your hard head,” the frog prince quipped as he smacked Changkyun’s forehead.

Changkyun clicked his tongue, “Don’t bother me while I’m working.”

“Don’t leave me hanging in a house plant,” the frog returned in a mocking tone.

Changkyun rolled his eyes and turned his attention back to Wonho. The apprentice opened the guard’s mouth and poured the concoction he’d created down his throat. Changkyun’s hands glowed blue as they hovered over Wonho. A few moments later blue light started pulsating from Wonho’s body, the rhythm of the glow in tandem with the one on Changkyun’s hands.

Hyungwon would admit that he was a petty person at times, but he wasn’t petty enough to get in the way of Changkyun’s work. At least not purposefully. The frog prince had no idea what came over his instincts to make him try to reach for a mosquito that had been flying around the ceiling. His tongue flicked out before he could fully understand what he was doing.

Thankfully, he didn’t actually hit the bug and have to taste what a mosquito tasted like.

Not so thankfully, his tongue hit part of Changkyun’s inclined ceiling- causing it to rain dust.

Dust was the worst thing that could have happened in that moment because it caused Changkyun to sneeze. And when the wizard sneezed, Hyungwon flew off his head onto Wonho.

The two were enveloped in harshly glowing bubble of light that grew and grew until it finally popped.

As the light dissipated, Hyungwon blinked up at the ceiling. He turned his head to see Changkyun staring down at him in horror as he muttered “Oh god” repeatedly.

“What’s the problem?” Hyungwon asked cheekily, only he didn’t sound like himself.

Suddenly, Hyungwon realized he was sitting up in the bed. Something a frog couldn’t do.

Hyungwon carefully looked downwards at himself. He was a human. He was wearing clothes and hand human hands and all the other things that came with being a human, but these were not his clothes or his hands. They were Wonho’s.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am finally done with school for this semester so I'll try to be more frequent with the updates. I was actually going to delay this more until I had the chapter after this one finished too but I couldn't hold it off anymore since it's their anniversary and I swore I'd update then XD
> 
> I know this update is a little late but we're finally getting into the meat of the story so I tried to jam pack this chapter with important stuff that will come up later. See ya guys soon (hopefully XD)
> 
> P.S. I'm going to MX's Concert in Dallas on the July 19th (which is also my birthday :D) if any of you are going hit me up :3


	6. Act 2. Part 5. A Different Kind of Magic

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd like the preface this with an apology because it's been WAY too long since my last update.

All color drained from Changkyun’s face as his dilated pupils settled on Hyungwon. With his mouth hung open, he reached out for the frog on Hyungwon’s current form.  His shaking hands wrapped around the frog unsteadily. Concerned for both Changkyun and the frog, the prince enveloped the apprentice’s hands in his own. The wizard jolted at his touch, ready to pull back until reason flashed in his eyes. He managed to still himself, keeping his trembling hands in Hyungwon’s.

Hyungwon could tell Changkyun’s eyes kept veering away from his face. He just stared down at their hands. More specifically, the frog in their hands, which was technically still Hyungwon - or his body, he supposed. The prince wasn’t sure what Changkyun’s magic had done to land him here, and by the look on the apprentice’s face, he wasn’t sure either.

“Sit down,” Hyungwon commanded as he released the boy’s cold, clammy hands. He found it odd to hear someone else’s voice speak the words he wanted to say, but life had been weirder.

Changkyun looked up at him with startled eyes, pausing for a few seconds before nodding and complying. A vacant expression painted the apprentice’s face as he stared down at the frog in his hands.

“Are you alright? You look like you’re going into shock,” Hyungwon questioned him, sounding half-teasing, half-apprehensive.

Changkyun didn’t look at him as he sighed. His voice seemed restrained as he replied, “I’m alright, Wonho-hyung, I just got a little freaked out.”

_Wonho-hyung? Did Changkyun not know we’d switched bodies? Was that why he spoke as if he was hiding something?_

Hyungwon knew it couldn’t hurt to make him aware of the situation if he wasn’t already. “Uh… this isn’t Wonho.”

“What?” Changkyun’s forehead wrinkled as he raised a confused brow.

_So, he didn’t know…_

The prince took a deep breath before speaking. “It’s Hyungwon.”

Changkyun opened his mouth as if to say something but closed it just as quickly.

“I am Hyungwon but this is Wonho’s body,” he explained, trying to remain as to the point as he could, but Changkyun’s grip on his frog body was loosened. Out of self-preservation, the prince couldn’t help but add, “Can you put me on a pillow or something? I’m afraid you might drop me.”

The wizard looked down at the frog who’d nearly fallen out of his hands. His lips formed an O before he rose, taking the decorative pillow from the chair with him. He placed the pillow down on his bedside table before gingerly setting the frog atop it.

He walked back, looking just as perplexed as he was before. “You’re definitely Hyungwon. But-but how?”

Hyungwon didn’t answer. He could tell the wizard was questioning himself instead of the person in front of him.

“Oh god. It was the spell, wasn’t it?! Then that means…,” His voice trailed off as he looked back at the frog on the pillow. He was silent for a few seconds before he shook his head. “I have to call them,” he vaguely declared, rising from his seat.

Changkyun hobbled over to his full-length mirror and pressed a hand on the jewel inlaid at the top. The jewel began to glow and Changkyun’s reflection began to flitter away, revealing a stern faced pink haired man who was working at a table. He’d thought it might be the wizard that had turned him into a frog but his hair was bowl cut and his face seemed too soft.

 _Another wizard perhaps?_ Hyungwon thought as he leaned to get a better view. The former frog prince remained in bed, not daring to move too far or make a sound for fear he might draw the attention of whoever was in the mirror and anger Changkyun.

The apprentice stood with his hands behind his back, watching and waiting until the man in the mirror put down his pen before he cleared his throat.

Immediately, the man stared back at the apprentice. His pink brows furrowed as he acknowledged, “Changkyun.” He sat up a little straighter as he addressed the apprentice, “What’s the matter this time? Did you run out of those supplements?”

Changkyun shook his head. “No, I still have enough, Thank you, Jihoon. I was actually wondering if you could call Seokmin for me.”

Hyungwon was impressed with how Changkyun diplomatically navigated the conversation.

“Seokmin?” Jihoon spoke his name slowly, as if asking Changkyun if he’d heard right.

“Yes,” Changkyun answered with a nod. “I have some questions I need to ask him.”

Jihoon sighed as his eyes rolled back in his head. It was clear that he did not want to comply with Changkyun’s request. However, the pink haired wizard pushed away from his desk and begrudgingly stated, “I’ll go get him.”

Loud banging and clashing could be heard through the mirror for several minutes until the pink haired wizard returned with a deepened scowl and slightly messed up hair.

“Here, say what you need to. I am going to go submit my report,” Jihoon grumbled, picking up the papers on his desk and marching out of the room again.

When he returned, a sharp featured dark-haired man walked into view. His radiant smile shined through the mirror, exuding an air of happiness. Just by looking at him, Hyungwon could tell this man was the total opposite of Jihoon.

“Changkyun-hyung!” the cheerful man greeted as he waved through the mirror. “To what do I owe the pleasure of this call?”

Changkyun cleared his throat. Even though Hyungwon couldn’t see his face from where he sat, he saw the anxiousness in the way the apprentice stood. “Seokmin, you know what to do when spells go wrong, right?”

Seokmin looked down at his jacket where embroidered spiders moved along the surface of the black velvet. He sheepishly grinned at Changkyun. “I guess I am pretty knowledgeable there. What do you want to ask?”

“If someone got in the way of a fatigue healing spell and the spell malfunctioned somehow, causing that person and the person being healed to switch bodies… what would happen?”

The wizard in the mirror thoughtfully began to stroke an imaginary beard. His eyes twinkled with amusement as he addressed Changkyun. “That’s oddly specific but nothing I can’t help with.” Seokmin’s playful tone became almost unrecognizable as he started to analyze the situation. “The fatigue healing spell is meant to replenish the body of the person being healed and magic will take whatever it can. I’m assuming the person you were healing was unconscious and the person who got in the way was not?”

Changkyun nodded.

“From what I’ve seen in similar cases whoever was awake at the time of the transfer has their consciousness temporarily transferred into the person who’s being healed. When the person who was being healed shifts from the subconscious to conscious state the spirit or mind of the intruder will be ejected. So, it’s not really a big deal,” Seokmin shrugged before continuing, “At the latest, the effects should last a day.”

“Really?” Changkyun’s shoulders tensed up, as he hopefully peered into the mirror.

“Yeah, but you might want to keep an eye on them. You never know when they’ll switch back,” Seokmin warned.

Changkyun gave a relieved sigh. “Thanks Seokmin, you spared me a panic attack.”

“Also be sure to not let them out of your sight because you’re not supposed to be working on actual people Changkyun,” Jihoon cut in, making his presence known as he popped up behind Seokmin’s shoulder.

“Thanks for everything, you two. I’ll see you soon,” Changkyun signed off watching as Jihoon gave a small nod and Seokmin waved goodbye.

The apprentice tapped the crystal, causing the image in the mirror to flicker back to his reflection. His chest filled with air deflated as he let out a sigh before turning to Hyungwon, who had just risen from the bed.

Hyungwon stood close enough to see his current appearance reflect in Changkyun’s eyes. The silvery hair with blue ends. The sharply cut features. The red filling his ears as he saw Changkyun blush as well.  

In a hasty movement, Changkyun gestured to the sitting area by the fireplace.

Hyungwon looked over at the seats and back at Changkyun before carefully moving around the wizard to take his seat.  

Awkwardness hung thick in the air as they sat with only the sounds of birds outside the window.

“So…” Changkyun began, breaking the silence which blanketed the room.

“So,” Hyungwon mimicked, startled again by the sound of Wonho’s voice as he spoke.

Changkyun threw up his hands in frustration. “I’m sorry, but I can’t look at you and think Hyungwon because you still have Wonho-hyung’s face, so I’m going to call you Wonho-Hyungwon,” he declared, attempting to stare down the prince.

Hyungwon, however, didn’t miss the slight nervous quiver in the boy’s lips as he determinately tried to stare him down. The prince chose to keep the observation to himself, wearing an almost bored expression as he spoke, “Call me Hyungwonho.”

The apprentice scrunched his nose at the name but accepted it. “Fine, Hyungwonho it is.” Putting his distaste aside, he went straight to the point, “Why did you get in the way of my spell?”

“I was trying to catch a mosquito,” Hyungwon answered truthfully, despite how ridiculous it sounded. He hoped his sincerity carried.

The boy’s brows knit with confusion as he tried to wrap his head around Hyungwon’s reply. “You’re being serious?”

“Yes.”

More wrinkles appeared on Changkyun’s forehead. His foot began to bounce nervously as he focused on empty fireplace. He stared intently at the unburnt logs, avoiding Hyungwon’s gaze as he asked, “But you said you couldn’t eat them because you didn’t feel the instinct.”

“I don’t know, it happened suddenly,” Hyungwon said. “I felt the urge to catch it so I tried and now we’re here.”

Hyungwon tried to decipher Changkyun’s grave expression. Whenever the wizard went straight faced, he seemed far older than his age.

“You wanted to eat it?” Changkyun asked. His voice sounded so somber that Hyungwon had to repress the urge to hug him.

“Yes…”

With that Changkyun abruptly got up from his chair and moved to his shelf, pulling out book after book until he threw a black leather-bound volume onto his table. He started flipping pages so fast that Hyungwon was worried he might get a paper cut. Changkyun read the page he was looking for at least three times over before speaking.

“This is bad,” Changkyun said, refusing to take his eyes off the page.

Questions began to bubble inside Hyungwon’s mind but he waited for Changkyun to continue.

“We have to get you back to being a human as quickly as possible. If symptoms like this are occurring, the longer you’re a frog, the higher the chance you might actually become one.”

“Good thing, I’m human right now, huh?” Hyungwon spoke cheekily, trying to lighten the mood. He would have normally said something like this because he meant it, but he couldn’t show Changkyun how panicked he felt at the revelation.

Changkyun didn’t even reproach Hyungwon’s attempt as he further pressed his point, “You’re eventually going to switch back and then it’ll be a problem again. We have to get you to kiss Minhyuk-hyung within the next few days otherwise…”

The apprentice didn’t finish his sentence but the fear in his eyes conveyed it all.

“I can always try to go kiss him in this form,” Hyungwon offered, trying to get some kind of annoyed response from Changkyun.

This time at Changkyun at least let out an exasperated sigh before explaining why Hyungwon’s idea would fail. “It wouldn’t work because the magic affected your body, not Wonho-hyung’s.”

“Worth a shot?” Hyungwon shrugged, smirking as he saw angry fires light in Changkyun’s eyes.

“Absolutely not,” the apprentice shot him down, gritting his teeth as he spoke. “You don’t get to manipula-”

Changkyun’s tirade was cut off by the sound of Hyungwon’s stomach growling.  

The flames in Changkyun’s eyes died down, leaving a soft glow of concern. “Wonho-hyung hasn’t eaten.”

As soon as he finished his sentence his own stomach grumbled.

Hyungwon frowned at him as he chided, “Neither have you.”

Changkyun turned away from Hyungwon, trying to hide his embarrassment. He quietly mumbled, “I’ll ask them to send up a few trays of food.”

It was moments like this where Hyungwon thought that Changkyun seemed especially adorable. There was a certain innocence in the way he acted when he was flustered that contrasted with his usual demeanor. While Changkyun was discussing their meal with a page at the door, he would often look back at Hyungwon cautiously, like he could disappear at any moment. Even as the two sat together while waiting, Changkyun would habitually tap or bounce his feet, stealing glances at the prince. Or rather, at Wonho.

Hyungwon wondered if Changkyun was truly over his crush on the guard. There was a quaint nervousness in his actions which Hyungwon could only link back to being with a crush. A small frown settled on the prince’s lips as he thought about how Changkyun might feel about getting to spend a whole day with Wonho, physically at least.

Though unhappiness settled in the pit of his stomach, Hyungwon wanted Changkyun to get the most out of this magical mishap. He silently made a pact to take full advantage of his current form to unnerve the wizard. If real Wonho wouldn’t give Changkyun the time of day, Hyungwon would give him the next best thing.

As they rolled in the carts of food, Hyungwon did his best to act the way he’d seen the guard behave from the few times he’d met him. He lounged on his chair and smiled charmingly at the starry-eyed page boys as they placed a dining table in between the two chairs of sitting area.

The table was quickly filled with dishes. There were so many plates that Hyungwon couldn’t fathom how this much food was for two people. Were the page boys eating with them too? To his disbelief, they hastily retreated out of the room, which left Hyungwon and Changkyun sitting face to face with one another, separated by the small table that was nearly overflowing with food.

“Do you have invisible friends to help us eat this or is all of this really for just for the two of us?” Hyungwon asked, masking his worry with a joke.

“Wonho-hyung has an infamous appetite,” Changkyun replied simply, stating it like it was a fact.

Hyungwon pursed his lips, mildly impressed. He tried to gauge the amount of hunger he felt now and it was nearly debilitating.  As he picked up the fork and knife, they felt slightly awkward in his hands. It made the prince realize just how long he’d been a frog and how long it had been since he’d actually eaten a meal. He’d thought he might have trouble adjusting to eating again, but the moment Hyungwon’s eyes fell on the plate of grilled shrimp, his concerns seemed to vanish.

Without waiting to see if Changkyun might have wanted a bite first, Hyungwon bit into the shrimp plate like a starving man. He moaned with euphoria as pockets of spices exploded with each bite, complementing the chewy meat. Before he knew it, he’d managed to finish the entire plate. Only then did he notice that Changkyun had been staring at him with a slack jaw, his steak-filled fork suspended centimeters away from his mouth.

Changkyun bashfully lowered his fork the moment he made eye contact with Hyungwon. The apprentice an apologetic and amused half smile, flashing his dimples. “Did you and Wonho-hyung suddenly switch back?”

Hyungwon snorted and rolled his eyes. Some cynical part of his mind wanted to reply ‘You wish’, but the prince held it back. “You have no idea how much I missed eating food, especially shrimp.”

“I can tell,” Changkyun said as he gave a small laugh before digging into his own plate.

In no time, the two of them have managed to clear most of the plates on the table, much to Hyungwon’s surprise. With every plate he finished Hyungwon was surprised to see just how much Wonho’s body could intake. Even though only one plate remained in front of the two of them, Hyungwon was amazed that actually had room in his stomach for more.

As Hyungwon wondered if he should abstain from eating more, Changkyun reached for the plate of fruit without hesitation. Watching the boy happily munch down, Hyungwon decided to have a little fun.

He waited for Changkyun to stab the next slice of fruit he’d eat before sinking his fork into the same fruit.

Changkyun shot him a look that was confused, slightly outraged, but mostly incredulous.

Hyungwon’s lips twitched as he maintained and neutral expression in answer to Changkyun’s.

The boy carefully removed his fork from the mango slice and reached for another piece.

Hyungwon followed suit, plunging his fork into the new piece Changkyun chose.

Changkyun’s face scrunched up in distaste and anger as he quickly moved to grab the original piece.

Of course, Hyungwon made use of Wonho’s agility to make sure Changkyun didn’t get off that easily.

The two of them sat there pushing food away from each other’s forks until Changkyun decided to freeze Hyungwon’s hand with magic. Changkyun grinned victoriously as he pulled the plate close to himself and chowed down. Juice dribbled down his chin as he inhaled his food, making Hyungwon laugh at the sight. The frog prince took the napkin from his lap and reached across the table to dab at Changkyun’s face.

“You eat like a little kid,” Hyungwon teased.

Changkyun failed to throw back some fancy retort. Instead, he just started up at Hyungwon who was arching over the table to wipe away the mess Changkyun had made of his face. He was close enough to count Changkyun’s lashes, making the boy start to blush.

Changkyun’s ears were red, as was most of his face. His eyes were wide, shocked, and questioning as they followed Hyungwon’s movements. Hyungwon did his best to capture Changkyun’s expression in his memory, as it was the most adorable one had shown him. Though this effect was likely caused by Wonho, part of Hyungwon’s mind kept saying he made Changkyun react like this.

After more than enough time had passed and there was nothing left to wipe off of Changkyun’s chin, Hyungwon withdrew his unfrozen hand.  

Changkyun abruptly stood up the moment that Hyungwon drew back. Not looking back, he began to hurry over to his desk. For just a second he stopped, pausing to snap his fingers, and unfroze Hyungwon’s hand.

The prince sat in the chair a little longer, rubbing the numbness from his fingers, before he got up. Hyungwon carefully approached the opening in the shelves. He cleared his throat, trying to get rid of the awkward atmosphere.

“What are you working on?” he asked, hoping Chankgyun wouldn’t suddenly start to ignore him.

“It’s a new potions order that they brought me. I have to finish this by today,” Changkyun replied methodically, refusing to face him.

A few more seconds passed and Hyungwon debated if he should press his luck further. He silently sucked in a breath before asking, “Need some help?”

“No, thank you. I’ll be alright.” The boy’s answer sounded almost automatic, as if he would say anything to get Hyungwon to leave him alone.

But Hyungwon wouldn’t let himself give up if he didn’t try at least one more time.

“You sure? I could make use of these hands while I still have them.” He hoped lighthearted reason could sway the young wizard.

“I’m sure,” Changkyun said with crushing finality.

Hyungwon sighed, picking the first installment to the series both he and Changkyun liked best off its shelf. “Alright, I’ll just read a novel or something.”

Changkyun only hummed approvingly.

Hyungwon shook his head as he walked to the fireplace. He wondered if he’d gone too far with his last trick. At the same time, he found the way Changkyun was avoiding him almost endearing.

The apprentice’s cold shoulder couldn’t keep Hyungwon from checking how Changkyun was doing every now and then. Sweat trailed down the young wizard’s face as he ground ingredients which he threw into a bubbling cauldron. Occasionally, he’d pause and go to his shelf, pulling down book after book until he found the right reference. Each time Hyungwon looked up the boy looked more and more enervated.

The tipping point seemed to be when Changkyun tried to reach out for a book that was clearly out of his grasp. He was on his tippy toes, stretching as hard as he could to try and grab it, but it was no use. Not to mention how it seemed he couldn’t even stand up right. When he looked like he was about to fall over, Hyungwon couldn’t just sit there and watch. The prince strode over to where Changkyun was struggling and easily pulled the book down.

The prince felt Changkyun freeze up as he stood sandwiched between him and the shelf. There would be no way for the boy to avoid him now. Amusement spread through Hyungwon as he saw the boy’s ears turn red. Slowly, Changkyun turned around and faced him with determined eyes, a hint of a blush dusted his cheeks.

“Thank you for getting the book down. May I have it please?” Changkyun spoke through tight lips.

“Are you still sure you don’t want my help?” Hyungwon asked, his voice containing the slightest hint of smugness.

Changkyun gave a resigned sigh. “I guess it wouldn’t hurt to have extra hands around. But Wonho-hyung has to rest too.”

“The sooner you get done, the sooner we rest,” the prince bargained, watching Changkyun realize that wasn’t going to get rid of him.

With that, Hyungwon began to help Changkyun with his tasks – taking down books from shelves, finding ingredients in the room, and occasionally grinding a few things in the pestle. Nearly an hour later, they were finally done and had bottled up the last bits for mailing. Hyungwon put the vial in the delivery basket and placed it outside the door for a servant to collect while Changkyun was finishing his records. When Hyungwon got to the table, however, the only thing he heard was Changkyun’s evened out breathing.

The prince smiled at the sight. Changkyun had once again fallen asleep on his table. But now, unlike the many before, Hyungwon could actually do something about it.

Despite being exhausted as well, Hyungwon lifted Changkyun into his arms and carried him back to his bed. He tucked the boy in, brushing aside a strand of his currently brown hair. With a sigh, he walked onto the other side of the bed and plopped himself down carefully. The prince’s eyes rested on Changkyun as he blinked himself to sleep.

* * *

 Hyungwon felt a familiar awkward sliminess to his limbs as he woke. He didn’t need to open his eyes to know he was back to being a frog. As he lay half-awake a little longer, he noticed something profoundly wrong. There was no sound of pen on paper. No sound of soft breathing.

He opened his eyes to find a room void of its owner and void of Wonho.

It was almost as if Hyungwon just woke up from a strange dream and none of it had ever happened. But the fact that he was on Changkyun’s decorative pillow told him otherwise.

As the prince adjusted himself to hop off the pillow, he found a note addressed tucked at his side.

_To Hyungwon:_

_If you’re reading this, you woke up while I was out. Since Wonho-hyung is now back in his room resting and no one is there to guard Minhyuk-hyung’s room, I’ve gone to go set up some wards. I’ll be back soon. If you need me, I left a map of where I should be on the desk._

_Changkyun_

Not sure of what else to do with his time, Hyungwon went to the map on Changkyun’s desk. The frog prince was disappointed to see a plain, non-magical map laid out on the desk top. Instead of a map which gave Changkyun’s exact location, red dots were circled at certain points across the map. They all encompassed a small hallway housing guest rooms in the west wing. One of which was nearly indistinguishably marked with gray ink.

Hyungwon was smart enough to figure out that the red dots were where Changkyun could possibly be and the gray mark was the room in which Prince Minhyuk resided.

An idea bubbled in Hyungwon’s mind, one he was sure that Changkyun wouldn’t like. Regardless, the prince felt compelled to go through with it. He had to find Prince Minhyuk, it was time to end this curse once and for all.

* * *

 Changkyun’s wards could be felt even in the vents Hyungwon was crawling through. Magic pulled at Hyungwon’s skin trying to keep him from moving further, but he pressed on. He felt his lungs strain as he finally reached the point in the map where Changkyun’s wards wouldn’t have any effect. Only a few more openings until Hyungwon reached the one which lead to Prince Minhyuk’s room.  

Hyungwon’s small heart pounded as he finally got to the slits in the wall of Prince Minhyuk’s room.

The blond prince stood in front of his curtained window, looking reflective against the moonlight until he let out a frustrated groan. He angrily stomped to his bed and jumped on it, flailing while he griped some more.

Hyungwon almost couldn’t believe how he’d thought Prince Minhyuk was some kind of model prince. He was practically an overgrown kid and Hyungwon couldn’t accept the fact that this man was older than him.

“I’m so bored!” he cried out, in the whiniest way possible. “Stupid Wonho. He’ll eat my food but won’t sleep when I tell him to.”

A laugh escaped Hyungwon’s mouth and he knew the prince had heard.

Prince Minhyuk hadn’t heard sat up in his bed, alert and searching.  “Who’s there?” he called out, suddenly sounding like a man instead of a cranky child.

Hyungwon swallowed. He could stay where he was. He could just hop his way back to Changkyun’s room and pretend like none of this ever happened. But a voice of reason rang in his mind, the longer he delayed this- the longer he’d be a frog.

“You caught me. I’m here, in the vents,” the frog spoke up, but didn’t move from his hiding spot just yet.

Prince Minhyuk’s eyes narrowed as they scanned the slits in his walls.  “Who are you?” he demanded.

Hyungwon decided to feed him a white-lie. “You’re not going to believe me if I told you.”

The blond prince crossed his arms across his chest defiantly and sneered, “Try me.”

“I am Prince Hyungwon of Gwangju,” the frog prince proudly declared.

Prince Minhyuk gave an unimpressed frown. “Okay, you were right. I don’t believe you.” He got up from his bed and walked towards the vents. “Who are you really and what is your business here?”

Hyungwon guessed this might happen, but he decided to follow Changkyun’s advice from weeks ago and tell Prince Minhyuk the truth. “I’m really Prince Hyungwon and I’m here to break a curse.”

“What did I eat for dinner? What kind of fucked up dream is this?” the blond man started pacing as he spoke to himself. “Stop messing around, whoever you are. Prince Hyungwon’s disappearance is serious business.”

“Look, I know it’s a bit hard to understand but I can try to explain to you what happened to me.”

Prince Minhyuk sighed, muttering something about how this guy just wouldn’t give it up. “Fine, I’ll humor you,” he spoke pointedly. “So, Prince Hyungwon, where have you been for the last two months? Why haven’t you gone home?”

“I can’t go home. Not like this,” Hyungwon said, keeping his words vague to ease the prince into the idea of seeing a talking frog.

“What do you mean ‘not like this’?” asked Prince Minhyuk as he grew more annoyed by the second.  

The frog put a hand to the vent’s opening before asking, “Promise not to scream?”

“No.”

A smile broke across Hyungwon’s lips at the blunt reply. “Very well,” he said as he opened the screen.

When he jumped down, Prince Minhyuk’s shrill scream tore through the night. He pointed down at him with wide eyes. His jaw hung open as he took in Hyungwon’s form. “You-you-you’re a frog?!”

“Yes,” Hyungwon nodded.

Prince Minhyuk’s eyes looked ready to fall out of their socket as he saw Hyungwon speak. “How?”

“I drank a potion.”

A distasteful frown fell on the blond man’s face. “Why would you do that?”

“Not on purpose. Someone turned me into a frog,” Hyungwon elaborated, a little stunned with how the prince seemed to be accepting his words.

Minhyuk didn’t seem to think he was lying. He immediately furrowed his brows in sympathy. “That’s terrible! Is there any way to turn you back?”

“There is…” Hyungwon said, “but you might not like it?”

The blond man tensed. “What? What is it? Do I have to eat a cucumber?”

 _Cucumber? Where did he get that from?_ Hyungwon thought before he explained. “No, you have to kiss me.”

Prince Minhyuk waited as if he was expecting Hyungwon to go on, before he asked, “That’s it?”

“Yeah. Pretty much…” Hyungwon said, still unable to understand how Prince Minhyuk could downplay kissing a frog.

“That’s easy,” Minhyuk said, waving it off before he lifted Hyungwon into his hands.

Hyungwon closed his eyes as the prince’s tinted lips drew nearer. When he felt soft, warm lips against his mouth, Hyungwon knew this was it. These were his last moments as a frog, and he couldn’t believe how easy it had been to convince Prince Minhyuk.

The frog prince expected something to start happening the moment Prince Minhyuk pulled back, but he felt nothing. Seconds past with no result and Hyungwon started to panic.

“Did it not work?” The blond prince frowned.

“No. No, it has to work. This is the only option I had,” Hyungwon muttered, more to himself than to Minhyuk.

Before Prince Minhyuk could say anything, the door swung open, revealing Changkyun’s silhouette painted by the hallway light. “Sorry to intrude Minhyuk-hyung but have you…” the wizard trailed off as he zeroed in on Hyungwon, “...seen a frog.”

“Oh, is this your friend Changkyunnie?” Minhyuk asked as he held up Hyungwon in his hands.

Changkyun kept his eyes focused on Hyungwon as he nodded. “I’ve been looking everywhere for him.”

Prince Minhyuk walked over to the boy and placed the frog in his hands. “Well, here you go. Your friend here has some interesting stories to tell. I hope things work out for him. For now, gotta get some rest. You just put up those wards. You shouldn’t be running around.”

“I will, hyung. Thanks for finding him.” Changkyun stepped out of the doorway and bowed at a smiling Minhyuk before the door was closed.

Changkyun used magic to teleport them back to his room.  

The moment he knew they were alone, Hyungwon started to rant out his worries. “I can’t believe it didn’t work… I finally kiss him and it doesn’t work. Does this mean I’m stuck like this? What if-”

Hyungwon stopped mid-sentence as he felt Changkyun’s lips on top of his head. “It’ll be alright, Hyungwon. I promise. The spells effects might not be automatically. And even if you’re still a frog tomorrow, I’ll still be there to help you.”

This time when Hyungwon’s heart was beating too fast, and it wasn’t because he was anxious. Changkyun words made him feel the same weightlessness that teleporting did. His skin seemed to imprint the exact spot Changkyun kissed him and Hyungwon was suddenly glad he couldn’t blush.

The wizard gently placed Hyungwon on the pillow beside his own before tossing him a supplement pill.

As the apprentice slipped into his own sheets, he sighed deeply. “Today has been a long day. Get some rest.”

Changkyun didn’t have to tell him twice.

* * *

 Birds chirped outside Changkyun’s window, causing the wizard to stir. Tiredness seeped deep in his bones as he lay with his eyes closed, thinking about the day before. So much had happened that he couldn’t even take it all in, but part of him loved the excitement. His quiet life in the palace had grown so loud with Hyungwon around and it was something the Changkyun had found himself getting used to. It made him wonder if he could ever go back to life without a crazy talking frog at his back.

The wizard let out a deep breath as he rolled over slowly opening his eyes to see a blurry figure next to him. As his vision grew clearer, the wizard realized it was a person. Someone beautiful and unimaginably handsome was sleeping beside him. He blinked, trying to clear his eyes of what he assumed was a dream, yet nothing changed.

The man was still there and sleepy Changkyun refused to believe someone who looked like that was real. The apprentice reached for the man’s porcelain face, convinced that once his finger touched him the man would disappear. But he didn’t.

Instead, Changkyun’s fingertips were met with a cool, wet sensation that sent sparks running down his spine, electrifying him awake.

The apprentice sat up in his bed so fast that the sleeping man stirred. The blanket which had been barely covering him fell away, revealing to Changkyun all of his assets.

Changkyun clapped a hand over his mouth as he screamed at the fact that there was very wet, very naked beautiful man in his bed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First off,
> 
> HAPPY BIRTHDAY SHOWNU!!! (Even though it's not your birthday in Korea anymore)
> 
> Okay now, it's time to explain why I was gone so long. My laptop is still having issues so I had to send that off for repair (currently writing off my tablet). I was also gone for like a week visiting my family. Then, I was going to update (and do a double update), but the Produce 101 finale made me depressed.  
> I watched it from the start and I loved nearly all of that TOP 20. I knew I was going to get hurt but I didn't know it would end like this. I cried for many, many hours. I'm also really upset at the people who are saying hurtful things about the top 11 just because Samuel and Jonghyun didn't make it. I needed a few days to get over everything, but I'm sort of alright now.  
> I hope you all forgive me for not being able to give you that double update to make up for lost time. I promise I'll try to update asap because I personally didn't want to leave you with a cliff hanger.  
> (ON A SIDENOTE WHO IS HYPED ABOUT MONSTA X'S COMEBACK IN LIKE 12 HOURS!!!!)


	7. Act 3. Part 1. White Lies and Desperate Cries

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're getting into the angsty bits- Please don't hate me XD

Muffled shrieking pulled Hyungwon from his sleep. He groaned as he rolled around, trying to fall back asleep. But sleep did not come to him. His body grew aware of the cold that seeped through his skin, keeping him from succumbing to slumber. With great effort, Hyungwon managed to pull himself up from bed, settling his sleep-filled eyes on Changkyun.

He gave the apprentice a tired smile while blinking himself awake. Each time his eyelids fluttered, prince picked up the details of Changkyun’s face and his smile began to fade. From his furrowed brow to his pursed lip, Changkyun’s face was the mirror of apprehension.

Hyungwon was about to ask him what was wrong when Changkyun asked, “Who-who are you?”

“I’m Hyungwon,” the prince said, as if it should have been obvious. Judging by Changkyun’s surprise, he hadn’t been expecting that answer. His reaction made Hyungwon start to fully comprehend his surroundings. He looked up at the boy, then down at himself. Back up at the boy and then back down at himself. He blinked curiously as he noted he was sitting stark naked on Changkyun’s bed, sitting up in his own human body.

The slender figure and lanky limbs of his, which were exposed for all the world to see, didn’t seem to matter to him at all. The now human prince curled his thick lips into a soft smile as he looked at his hands with awe and repeated, “I’m Hyungwon.”

“The kiss worked…” Changkyun stated, as if he didn’t believe what he was seeing.

“If I’m human again, it must have,” Hyungwon said excitedly as he threw off the last bits of blanket covering him. “Your plan worked!”

The prince almost embraced the boy, but Changkyun took a step back to avoid it, greeting him with an even, cordial tone, “It did.”

After a few moments the boy gestured to his closet, purposefully avoiding looking in Hyungwon’s direction. “Uh, d-do you want to borrow some of my clothes?”

“No, thanks,” Hyungwon spoke, as if gloating. He smirked as he leaned closer to the blushing apprentice and waved his hands over their heads, showing off the height difference. He looked down at Changkyun to meet his eyes. “Your clothes won’t fit.”

The apprentice’s mouth hung agape for a few moments before he determinately set his jaw and made his way to his closet. The boy returned with a bundle of white cotton which he promptly shoved into the prince’s arms.  

“Here,” Changkyun said as he still avoided the looking in the prince’s direction. “It’s just a bathrobe but it’s a little big on me.”

Hyungwon unfurled the fabric and slipped it on. He moved around to assess the fabric, pressing his lips in reluctant acceptance. They were just a tad too small for him, but they covered what needed to be covered.

Changkyun looked the prince over, his blush still ever present. “Are you sure you don’t want any other clothes?”

“Nah, I’m fine. You’re pretty used to seeing me naked anyways,” Hyungwon teased.

Changkyun’s eyes went wide as he made a strangled choking noise.

“Ah, sorry. I guess I said something inappropriate,” Hyungwon apologized, trying to laugh it off but mentally scolding himself for speaking without thinking. Then he realized this might be the first time he’d ever apologized that easily and without someone asking him to.

The apprentice gave him a weak smile. “…It’s fine. It’s not like there are clothes tailored for frogs anyways…” Changkyun’s joke hung in the air like a bad smell. It made the growing awkwardness feel more present and Changkyun wasn’t sure what do, so he spoke the truth. “I’m sorry I’m not sure what to do now. I was so focused on getting you turned back into a human, I never thought about what to do when it actually happens.”

Hyungwon hated to admit it, but he hadn’t thought much on it either. Part of him had just accepted living life here with Changkyun. Now that he was back to being himself, back to being a prince, there was no way he could stay. Just the thought made an uneasy feeling settle in his gut. Hyungwon decided to do what he does best and avoid the issue altogether until it came to smack him in the face.

“We’ll get to that when we get there. For now, how about we eat some breakfast? I’m starving,” Hyungwon suggested, wanting to avoid having to explain to Changkyun that he’d been housing a prince this whole time.

“Ah! Right. Wait here,” Changkyun said as he gestured for the prince to stay put.

The boy hurried over to his door and opened it just enough for him to pick up the tray of food at that had been laid at the entrance, like it was every morning. He hastily stepped back into his room, making sure to lock his door with magic as he walked over to the sitting area.

Changkyun wrung his hands together nervously as he set down the tray of food at the arm table between his two chairs. “There’s only enough for one person so-”

Hyungwon cut him off. The prince picked up the fork and knife off the tray and began to cut the food into halves as he warned, “Don’t even think about handing it all to me. You’re eating half of this.”

“Alright,” Changkyun began, sucking in a breath before he nearly whispered, “Hyungwon…hyung.”

“Hyung?” Hyungwon asked, perking up as he heard the suffix.

“I-I felt awkward referring to you as just Hyungwon,” Changkyun stuttered, avoiding his gaze again.

“So, I had to be a human to earn some respect?” Hyungwon joked, laughing before he bit into another slice of fruit.

Changkyun opened his mouth to argue but quickly shut it. He stuck out his lip in a pout as he apologetically looked at the floor.

Hyungwon only nodded, wondering how Changkyun still hadn’t pieced together that he was Gwangju’s prince now that he was human again. Had the boy never seen the multiple banners of him that they hung in Gwangju’s cities and towns?

Their meal ended as quickly as it began. As Changkyun was about to put away the plate, Hyungwon started to ceaselessly sneeze.

The apprentice set down the plate and rushed over to Hyungwon. “I’m so sorry. I knew we should have dried you off. You’re going to catch a cold at this rate.”

Hyungwon didn’t get the chance to say it was fine. At almost an inhuman speed, Changkyun fetched a towel and began to roughly dry Hyungwon’s wet hair.

The prince felt himself freeze at the proximity. Changkyun didn’t seem to notice how close he was. Each breath that escaped his chapped lips fanned the exposed skin of Hyungwon’s chest. Hyungwon swallowed, trying to look away from the boy’s face. But he couldn’t help it.

He kept glancing down, taking note of all his features. Changkyun had long lashes. And a pointy nose. And thick brows that looked even thicker when pressed together. And perfectly kissable lips. At the last thought, Hyungwon shook his head to wave away the stupor.

Changkyun’s hands pulled back and Hyungwon realized his mistake. He must have thought the prince wanted him to stop.

“Ah… I’ll just go put away the plate then,” Changkyun said. He swiftly turned his back and picked up the tray, leaving Hyungwon standing there, dumbfounded with a towel hanging from his head.

As he hurriedly tried to make his way to the door, Changkyun tripped. The tray went flying from Changkyun’s hands as he stumbled backward.

Hyungwon’s reflexes kicked in, allowing him to catch Changkyun before he fell. The recoil pushed him back, causing the both of them to plummet backwards.

Good news was that they’d managed to fall somewhere soft. Bad news was that place was Changkyun’s bed.

They’d landed in a position that was the definition of compromising. Hyungwon had landed on top of Changkyun. And when he pulled himself up, his arms were on either side of the boy’s shoulders. His was only a few centimeters from Changkyun’s flushed face.

The apprentice was looking up at him with wide eyes and parted lips – and damn it was hot. Hot enough to make the blood that had been going to Hyungwon's angled head now start moving elsewhere.

 _There is no way this could get any worse_ , Hyungwon thought.

Of course, the universe loved proving him wrong because at that moment, the door burst open – despite the many magical locks.

“Changkyunnie, I’m bac-WHAT THE ACTUAL HELL IS GOING ON?!”

Hyungwon could swore some frog instincts remained with him as he jumped off of Changkyun in a way no human should be able to.

Flush faced and slightly ticked off, his eyes found the intruder and rage lit inside him.

“You!” Hyungwon seethed at the pink haired herbologist who’d turned him into a frog.

“What the hell are you doing here?” Kihyun snapped as he made his way further into the room.

“I could ask you the same damn question.” The prince’s eyes burned with fire as he stepped between Changkyun and the fuming pink haired wizard.

Kihyun’s face contorted into a mask of sheer anger. “I have every right to be here!”

“How so?” Hyungwon challenged.

“Kihyun-hyung, please calm down. This is um, my friend, Hyungwon,” Changkyun tried to explain as he wormed his way past the prince.

“Your friend, Hyungwon?” Kihyun asked incredulously before turning to Hyungwon. “Does he not know who you are?” the pink haired wizard sneered.

“You didn’t seem to care much for who I was when you turned me into a frog,” Hyungwon spat back.

Changkyun gasped, looking disappointed as he addressed the older wizard. “Hyung! You’re the one who turned him into a frog?”

“Listen, Changkyun, he’s not who you think-” Kihyun tried to explain but was cut off by the sound of the door swinging.

Jooheon strode through the doorway carrying letters for Changkyun and smiling happily until he saw the scene before him. His jaw along dropped, and so did the letters he’d been carrying in his arms. He gulped at the sight of Kihyun before looking across at the taller man he was yelling at. The ambassador’s eyes went wide as he called out, “Your Highness?! What are you doing in Changkyun’s bedroom?”

The apprentice’s eyes went wide as he looked up at Hyungwon, who was glaring at Jooheon. “Your Highness?”

“Yes, Changkyun,” Kihyun affirmed with a cold smile. “The man standing before you is His Royal Pain in the Ass, Prince Hyungwon of Gwangju.”

“You’re really testing me today, Pinky,” Hyungwon sneered halfheartedly, not wanting to address the topic with Changkyun.

Kihyun snorted. “Pinky? Is that the best you got, you lechering piece of-”

“That’s enough, hyung,” the apprentice warned, cutting him off.

“You’re defending him? Do you even know who or what he is?” Kihyun asked, his tone rising with his flaring anger.

“I guess I might not know what he is and I thought I knew who he was, but that doesn’t give you the right to speak that way, hyung,” Changkyun answered coolly, grating against Kihyun’s ego.

“You two get of this room. I want to speak with my apprentice in private.” Kihyun’s gaze was intently locked on Changkyun as he spoke.

The apprentice and his master locked eyes as if having a silent argument and Jooheon didn’t want either himself or his prince to be there when it happened.

Hyungwon barely had time to register that Kihyun was Changkyun’s master before he was being hauled out of the room. “What are you doing?!” Hyungwon yelled at Jooheon, who’d managed to drag him out of the room. The prince shrugged himself free and tried to open the door. He jerked the knob, trying to get it to budge with no success. In the end, he resorted to banging on the door. “Hey! Let me in!”

Hyungwon slammed his fists against the door. He even gave it a kick for good measure. There was no way a simple wooden door could be this sturdy. They’d obviously reinforced it with magic, but that didn’t keep Hyungwon from yelling and pounding on the door.

“What’s going on here?” Wonho called out as he made his way over, for once wearing his armor. Not too far behind him was Prince Minhyuk dressed in full regalia.

The sight might have normally made Hyungwon question what was up but he was too focused on opening the damn door.

“Jooheonie! Prince Hyungwon!” Minhyuk greeted cheerfully before he looked Hyungwon up and down and with a frown. “Why are you wearing that?”

“You were expecting him to be here?” Wonho asked, somehow picking up the context missing in Minhyuk’s words.

“Yes, I was expecting him to be here, just not dressed in Changkyun’s bathrobes.”

“Prince Minhyuk,” Hyungwon nodded, giving the blond prince his regards and ignoring the silver haired guard on purpose. “Your herbologist kicked me out of Changkyun’s room before I had a chance to put on proper clothes.” Hyungwon told the man the half-truth and watched as Prince Minhyuk’s face contorted with annoyance.

“Aish, I’m going to drop kick that pervert when I see him,” Minhyuk muttered.

“He’s speaking with Changkyun privately at the moment,” Jooheon interject, gesturing to the locked door.

“Ahh,” Minhyuk gave a weak acknowledgement before gesturing for them to step aside. “I’ll go in. You can take Prince Hyungwon to your regular quarters,” the blond prince said callously as he moved closer to the door.

Hyungwon heard what the prince had said but he kept trying to get the door to open. Wonho’s hand wrapped around his fist before it clashed with the door. He shot an angry gaze at the silver haired man, who held a stony expression.

“I think it’s best if you left this to us, Your Highness.” Wonho’s words were cordial, to Hyungwon they sounded as if he was mocking him.  

Hyungwon jerked his fist away ready to smack the door again, but Jooheon placed a hand on his shoulder.

“Can you please not cause any more trouble, Your Highness? For now, I think it’s best if you leave this to Prince Minhyuk,” Jooheon did his best to speak and politely and rationally as possible.

Hyungwon didn’t know how much words could cut him. A rational part of him knew that Jooheon was right, but it was hidden under the anger and rage that told him to tear apart that door. Wonho’s grip tightened on his arm as the prince tried to knock on the door again. Jooheon restrained his other arm and the two dragged him away from the door.

He fought them, kicking and screaming, until the door of Changkyun’s room swung open. He turned his head to look over his shoulder. And for a split-second he was able to see Changkyun. But the boy didn’t look back up at him. A sullen-confused expression painted his face. He seemed hurt and lost, almost like he’d been betrayed. It made the prince wonder if Changkyun even wanted him to go back. And the thought alone was enough to quell Hyungwon’s resistance.

* * *

 “He lied to you the whole time he was here, Changkyun.” Kihyun spoke directly, saying the words that Changkyun subconsciously had been murmuring from the moment he was told Hyungwon was a prince.

“I lied to him too! I never once told him you were my master!” Changkyun yelled back, knowing his argument didn’t really have grounds.

The pink haired wizard was ready with a retort. “Because I ordered you to keep that a secret. Anyone who doesn’t know, will not know. You’re bound by to your word contractually. He has nothing like that preventing him from telling you the truth. And he was here for how long?”

“…Nearly the whole time he was missing,” Changkyun said, almost as if he was realizing this fact himself.

“That’s more than enough time for him to learn to trust you. The way you speak about him, he sounds like your friend. Now, tell me, what kind of friend keeps a secret that big? If he trusted you, he would have told you.”

Changkyun opened his mouth and closed it just as quickly.

Kihyun gave his apprentice as small frown as he reached out and brushed back his caramel bangs. “Changkyun-ah, everything I do, I do for you sake. I don’t mean to be hard on you, but this is for your protection.” He tried to explain as he watched his apprentice deflate further. “That man comes from the same line of people who are indirectly responsible for the reason you can’t go home. Those people would never fully trust a wizard. He most likely just used you to get what he wanted.”

There was a slight glimmer of hope in the boy’s eyes as he asked, almost as like he was pleading, “If that was the case, then why didn’t he leave sooner? Why is he knocking at the door?”

“He’s been with you for two months, Changkyun. Two months living a life full of magic is something someone could get used to. Once people have a taste of magic, it’s hard to go back. I wouldn’t doubt that if I let him in, he’ll drag you off to his palace, doll you up, and show you off in that godforsaken court like some kind of expensive accessory,” Kihyun rambled, hoping the boy finally understood where he was coming from.

Before Changkyun was able to reply, the door swung open. A blond blur dashed through and straight for Kihyun, and Changkyun couldn’t make sense of it until his master had been drop kicked to the ground.

“You perverted bastard,” Minhyuk said, breathing hard as he glared down at Kihyun.

“What the fuck, Minhyuk?!” Kihyun sputtered and groaned as he pulled himself off the ground.

“You actually let royalty step out into the hallway in bathrobes? Are you crazy? Do you want to ruin all our relations with Gwangju?” Minhyuk seethed, as he shook his smaller best friend by the collar.

“He was wearing those of his own volition,” Kihyun sneered, through grit teeth. “Now, I was having an important conversation with Changkyun.”

“Kihyun,” Minhyuk’s voice was low, bearing a level of severity that rarely saw the light of day. “Changkyun is an adult. He can make those kinds of choices on his own. You’re his mentor, not his mother. Besides, you forgot to report to my room before you came here. Did you think my message was some kind of joke?”

“I-” Kihyun shrank, knowing he was at fault.

“I put out a level red warning, Kihyun. I wouldn’t issue one if it wasn’t necessary,” Minhyuk went on, speaking as if Changkyun wasn’t standing right there.

The apprentice gasped. “Level red?” the boy’s voice was shrill with shock. Why would Minhyuk order the highest threat level warning?

“Stay out of this, Changkyun. You’re already in enough trouble as is,” Kihyun cautioned as he adjusted himself out of Minhyuk’s death grip.

“Changkyunnie isn’t in any trouble. He was the one who helped Prince Hyungwon the whole time he was missing. Or so I hear. Stop being a nosy mother hen and let the two of them figure it out on their own,” Minhyuk said as he placed a hand on Kihyun’s shoulder.

“But he’s a total brat!” the pink haired wizard complained.

“And you aren’t?” Minhyuk scoffed. “Anyway, you and I have something of utmost importance to discuss. Changkyun, sorry, we’re going to borrow your room for a bit. Prince Hyungwon should be in Jooheon’s room.”

The apprentice meekly nodded, feeling an emotional whiplash with what had happened to him in the past hour. Today was definitely not going off to a good start.

* * *

Changkyun felt so drained by the time he reached Jooheon’s door that he found himself absentmindedly staring at its intricate carvings. Though he’d passed through this door many times before, he gazed upon it as if seeing it for the first time. The glimmering gold etchings of leaves and vines which framed the thick black door felt imposing, like the door was asking him why he was standing there. The thought sent a shiver down his body as he reached for the doorknob with shaky hands.

Afternoon sunlight peaked through the small creases in the closed velvet curtains, making the room appear darker than it should have. The shadow of Prince Hyungwon’s head, which was turned to face him, blocked the light of the fireplace.

The young wizard eyed the prince carefully, feeling familiar butterflies start to float in his stomach. He was just as beautiful as he first laid eyes on him, except now he was properly clothed. Hyungwon’s beauty was so unreal that the more he looked the more Changkyun started to feel like the frog.  

Changkyun realized he’d been staring, saying nothing the whole time he’d walked in. Nervousness started to ooze over him as he hoped the prince wouldn’t take offense to his behavior.

Changkyun stopped himself before he had the chance to say hello. He couldn’t greet him casually anymore. Hyungwon wasn’t just Hyungwon, he was a prince. So, he sucked a breath and bowed, exhaling the words, “Hello, Your Highness.”

The greeting came out stiff, causing the air to grow stale and unsettled as the boy held his bow.

Hyungwon uncomfortably cleared his throat, giving Changkyun a perplexed look as he gestured for the wizard to sit.

The boy remained silent as he took his seat, hoping he hadn’t done anything wrong in greeting the prince as he did. Was he too informal?

Unbeknownst to Changkyun, Hyungwon’s displeasure came from the formality. Changkyun had never referred to him with any kind of title. Suddenly having him address him as ‘Your Highness’ made the prince’s skin crawl. It made Hyungwon unsure of how he should greet the boy. The prince skipped all greetings and went straight for a question to avoid silence settling over them.

“How was the talk?” Hyungwon asked.

Dejection passed across Changkyun’s face for a second before his expression shifted to a half-hearted smile. “I’d rather not think about it.”

Silence filled the room as the atmosphere grew heavy. Changkyun restlessly rubbed his palms against the cloth of his pants as he weighed options in his mind. Hyungwon, the goofy frog he’d befriended was also Prince Hyungwon. The apprentice wasn’t sure which one was sitting in the chair, eyeing him uneasily.

Suddenly, Hyungwon moved to speak again and Changkyun flinched at the abruptness. A hurt look flashed in the prince’s eyes as he slowly closed his mouth and waited for Changkyun to say something. Though the tense moment had been short, Changkyun knew he’d messed up. He settled his hands on top his thighs, balling up the fabric of his trousers in his fists to contain his anxiety. He  skittishly eyed the waiting prince. Why was the atmosphere so fragile?

Seconds passed, before Hyungwon sighed. He slouched as he breathed, loosening the tension around them. “I don’t even know how to beat around the bush with this one. Can you tell me why you never told me who your master was?”

His tone was gentle and patient. He wasn’t forcing Changkyun to answer. He was simply hopeful.

Yet, despite the sweetness Changkyun knew he’d never be able to tell him the truth. Not until Kihyun undid the seal on his tongue. Even know, Changkyun felt it burn as he willed himself to tell Hyungwon why he hid it from him, why he hid from everyone that he’s the Great Wizard Kihyun’s apprentice. Long ago, Kihyun had done it to keep Changkyun safe. It made sure that if Kihyun didn’t want someone to know, Changkyun would never be able to tell them. Which was why Changkyun struggled as he tried to make his mouth explain.

But as always, Kihyun’s magic wasn’t something Changkyun was ready to take on. Instead of giving Hyungwon the answer he wanted to hear, Changkyun was forced to say, “That information is on a need to know basis.”

His scathing tone grated his ears, as well as Hyungwon’s.

The initial shock caused Hyungwon’s pupils to dilate. His head pushed back against the leather of the seat as he sat up straight, pressing his mouth into a hard line.

“I see. After everything your master put you through you felt that I don’t need to know?”

The distance and formality in the prince’s voice made Changkyun’s heart clench.

He wanted to be able to tell Hyungwon the truth, but he was compelled to keep Kihyun’s wishes. He wanted to tell Hyungwon that he couldn’t tell him the truth. But he knew the prince wouldn’t understand.

“Answer me, Changkyun,” Hyungwon nearly growled after being met by the young wizard’s silence.

Changkyun frowned as he looked up him. Kihyun was right. Hyungwon was a spoiled prince who only wanted things his way. He couldn’t understand that he himself was in the wrong.

“Why do I have to answer to you? You’re the one who hid the fact you were the prince,” Changkyun stated, keeping his tone as level and calm as he could with the anger that seemed to rise inside him.

For a split second, it seemed like Hyungwon was going to give him a legitimate answer, but the prince closed his mouth to give Changkyun the coldest smile that he’d ever seen. The prince narrowed his eyes and said, “That information was on a need to know basis.”

Changkyun felt like a thousand needles were pricking his heart. As he tried to formulate a reply, his throat began to constrict. He couldn’t even think properly anymore. All Changkyun wanted to do was get out of that room and as fast as possible too. It was like his limbs moved on their own as he rose and made his way to the door.

He paused after he opened the door, resting his hand on the knob as he looked at Hyungwon who was ignoring him, intent on staring at the fire.

Even if the prince wasn’t in the mood to speak to him anymore, the apprentice couldn’t just walk out.

“Goodbye, Hyungwon,” Changkyun spoke softly, but loud enough for the brooding prince to hear.

The apprentice watched as he saw no movement from the man by the fireplace. He turned his head to the halls, waiting in the doorway a second longer, hoping Hyungwon might say it back. Changkyun nodded when he heard nothing in response, taking Hyungwon’s silence as reply. He smiled sadly to himself as he stepped out of Jooheon’s room, closing the door behind him.

* * *

 Prince Hyungwon felt the chill of regret as anxiousness screamed at him to get up and follow the boy. Never in his life had the prince felt guilt eat him away. Never had he wanted so badly to apologize. But pride kept him firmly seated in the lounge chair as he sipped the now cold tea that had been brewed for him.

Despite his ego keeping him from following Changkyun, he constantly eyed the door, hoping the apprentice might return. But, of course, he didn’t. He had no reason to.

It was at times like this Hyungwon wondered if his sharp tongue was a blessing or a curse. He’d known the boy well enough to know that what he’d said wasn’t what he meant. There was something more to Changkyun’s words, but now he’d never know.

Prince Hyungwon groaned into his hands. He replayed the harsh words he’d said to Changkyun over and over in his mind and cursed himself for being so brash.

The sound of the door clicking open made his head turn expectantly.

Hyungwon’s chest deflated as he took in the man in the doorway. He should have known it wouldn’t be Changkyun, but he hadn’t been expected an armor-clad Shownu to be standing there.

“What are you doing here?” the prince asked, speaking to his guard in the same manner he used back before he’d been turned into a frog.

Shownu didn’t miss a beat, briefly answering him back in a familiar casual tone. “I was looking for Jooheon.”

The prince was used to the guard being a man of few words, but he was expecting the guard to say more. Shownu never showed disapproval in his face or in his voice, but there was an air that hung around him which made Hyungwon feel like a small child who’d done something wrong.

He’d probably caused Shownu a lot of trouble since his disappearance. Which was exactly what put the prince on edge. Shownu always got to the point.

Hyungwon almost pouted. “You aren’t going to ask me where I’ve been? What I’ve been up to this whole time?”

The guard blinked, his face remaining unchanged. “You can tell me at your own leisure, Your Highness. But I would like to know since I scavenged half this country for you.”

Hyungwon nearly sighed in relief as he heard Shownu voice out his frustration. If there was one thing he liked about his guard, it was that he got to the point rather quickly.

“I was turned into a frog and I found refuge in this palace,” the prince answered honestly.

Shownu’s brow furrowed. He frowned as he asked, “You weren’t kidnapped?”

“Kidnapped?” Hyungwon’s voice rose in pitch. “Why would I have been kidnapped?” It seemed incredulous. The prince had thought it might be a joke, but Shownu wasn’t smiling.

“We’d assumed you’d been kidnapped as it matched some of the reports in that area,” Shownu grumbled, scratching his chin.

Hyungwon took a deep breath. “You mean to tell me we went through an area where there was a chance I could be kidnapped?”

Shownu shrugged. “You’re a prince. There’s always a chance you could be kidnapped.”

“Fair point, but what reports are you referring to?” Hyungwon egged him on.

Shownu cleared his throat, shifting his stance. There was a stormy look in his eyes as he gave Hyungwon a breakdown. “There had been a lot of disappearances in the Northwestern quarter of Raemi and the Northeastern quarter of Gwangju before your trip. As of late, there seem to be more and more cases. Your parents thought it would be okay for you to travel since the people abducted were only ones who had magic. It was assumed when you went missing that the orchestrator was trying to pull something serious. We’ve been working with the country of Raemi to try and prevent any more of these attacks from happening, but there was a problem.”

Hyungwon silently gestured for Shownu to continue.

The large man exhaled deeply. “Two days ago, a young wizard who worked in the Starship Palace was taken while investigating the case. He was able to send off a message before he disappeared and its contents seemed to confirm Prince Minhyuk’s worries.” Shownu paused, swallowing before he spoke. “Eodum is behind these attacks.”

Eodum. The name alone struck fear in Hyungwon’s heart. Ever since he was a child he’d been taught to fear the dark lands that bordered his own. Eodum was not a place you wanted to travel to. It didn’t surprise him the slightest that they had been behind the kidnappings.

The way Shownu stood, nervously tapping his finger against the pommel of his sword, Hyungwon knew that he wasn’t telling him everything.

“What else is there that you’re not telling me?” the prince asked, watching as the guard stood up straight again.

“That wizard was a friend of Emperor Hwang’s.” Shownu said, as if he was trying to avoid answering.

“What does his being a friend of Emperor Hwang’s have anything to do with this?”

The royal guard’s face scrunched up as if trying to hold the explanation on his lips. “Emperor Hwang is willing to wage war for him.”

“Is he crazy? Trying to go to war with Eodum is insane!” Hyungwon screeched and watched as his guard shift uncomfortably.

Shownu was straightfaced as he shook his head. “No, Emperor Hwang wants to wage war on Raemi.”

“What?!” Hyungwon screamed so loudly he was sure that the guards in and around the hall heard him.  

“They’re indirectly responsible for the disappearances and apparently yours as well,”Shownu weakly tried to convey the Emperor’s justifications.

Hyungwon was standing now, pacing in front of the fireplace as he threw his hands up. “This is absurd! I’m alright and those disappearances were Eodum’s fault!”

“Only a handful of us even know this. Prince Minhyuk called me and The Great Wizard Kihyun here to discuss further action, but you were always the priority. If you’re fine, then there is no real reason for us to keep aiding Raemi.” There was a false layer of apathy in the guard’s voice as he tested how the prince would reply.

“You are to remain here and work with Raemi until this matter is dealt with. That is an order,” Hyungwon commanded, pointing at him with a fierce light in his eyes.  

Shownu raised his brows, surprised and pleased at the prince’s request.

“As you wish, Your Highness.” He bowed, rising as he finished, “But I’m going to drop you back to Gwangju before I go back to work,”

“You said I’d be fine because I don’t have magic,” Hyungwon said cheekily.

“You went missing under my watch. I’ll be the one to return you,” the guard insisted.

Hyungwon nodded, not really wanting to share his carriage with a stranger. “Fine. But you’re coming back here right after.”

Shownu bowed deeply, tilting his head to cover his proud smile. “Of course, Your Highness.”

* * *

While the palace began to fill with the buzz of Prince Hyungwon’s presence, Changkyun quietly hid himself in the private corners of the library, avoiding the world, the gossiping servants in the halls, but most of all his now too empty, too quiet bedroom. As much as he tried to pretend like Hyungwon’s attitude didn’t phase him, the apprentice couldn’t take his mind off the fact that Hyungwon never wanted to see him again. The only consolation of hiding in the library was being away from the halls, where all everyone talked about was preparing for Hyungwon’s departure back to Gwangju.

Changkyun had known from the very day he’d met Hyungwon that the former frog was not meant to stay. But he’d never anticipated how badly he wished the frog would stay. Had Hyungwon not been who he was, the apprentice might have caved and forced Kihyun to undo the seal. But, of course, Hyungwon was a prince. Someone bound to his country. Someone who couldn’t stay.

Twilight had nearly turned to dawn by the time Changkyun decided to pack up and drag himself back to his room. The wizard instantly regretted his decision. His fatigue left him disoriented, making it hard for him to figure out what turns to take in the poorly lit corners of the palace. He’d managed to stumble his way to the back gardens where Minhyuk and Wonho had their dates.

This was the first place where Changkyun realized that Minhyuk and Wonho were more than just a prince and his guard. He recalled the first time he’d caught them kissing. It was it crushed his fifteen-year-old heart as he tasted the bitterness of an unrequited crush. He couldn’t look either of them in the eyes for a good month after that.

He wondered how long it would take for him to look Hyungwon in the face again. And then he remembered it wouldn’t matter. The prince was probably already well on his way to Gwangju.

The apprentice sighed at the thought, looking down at the faint scars of a dog bite on his arms as he smiled softly. He was really going to miss his frog prince, even if he was sort of an asshole.

A scuff along the stone floors pulled him back to reality and into high alert. The adrenaline now pouring through his veins made him notice the abnormal lack of guards in the palace halls.

“Who’s there?” The wizard called out, raising a glowing blue hand, ready to face whoever or whatever was beyond the shadows.

Changkyun found it odd that despite the brightness in his palm he saw no one standing there. His heart was beating in his knotted throat as he slowly started to back his way up into the central hall.

Another scuff rang from behind him causing Changkyun to turn only in time to see the large glowing net which engulfed him. He tried to burn away the material and found that it was no use. But that didn’t stop him from trying again and again.

He barely registered the three hooded figures which stepped out of the shadows as he tried to free himself.

“Looks like we’ve caught ourselves a wizard,” one figure smile eerily as it eyed a struggling Changkyun.

Flashes from his younger years made Changkyun freeze. This had happened to him before. He was being kidnapped.

Before he could panic, Changkyun reminded himself that he was older and smarter this time. Even though the net couldn’t be cut by magic his clothes still could. So Changkyun left small pieces of his cloak behind, hoping someone would be able to detect the trail.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so so so sorry it took me so long to update. I was so busy with work and studying and then my birthday and then the MX concert. It was all so much to handle that I wasn't sure if I could even finish this fanfic. But my beloved editor cravatty pulled me from my rut like usual and on top of that she wrote me two cute hyungkyuns XD Also special thanks to wingenuine for writing me an amazing birthday gift as well (all fics linked below- please give my friends some love):  
> cravatty:  
> Prince of Sweets: http://archiveofourown.org/works/11548821/chapters/25934115  
> i'm drunk, i love you: http://archiveofourown.org/works/11638491  
> wingenuine:  
> my heart always finds its way to you: http://archiveofourown.org/works/11548014
> 
> I was actually going to hold off longer on updated cause I'm not completely satisfied with this chapter but I'm going skydiving later today so I wanted to make sure I updated you guys before hand XD


	8. Act 3. Part 2. It All Leads Back to You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HAPPY BIRTHDAY ASWATHY!!! Enjoy this chapter ^_^

The prince adjusted himself on his armchair, frowning as he slumbered. Sleep did not come easily to Hyungwon these day as his dreams had become his nightmares, ones that didn’t end even after he woke. His mind would play out the same old scene of him back in the woods behind his summer home. His adult form running after the boy he’d always been chasing. Only this time, the boy wasn’t a faceless entity. It was Changkyun.

In an endless loop, Hyungwon combed through the woods running after Changkyun, and only seeming to get farther and farther away. There were the rare times where he managed to catch hold of Changkyun. But the dream would always end as soon as the boy looked up at him, wearing the same sad, hurt look he’d worn when the prince last saw him.

Hyungwon hated that part the most. Right now, the last thing he needed was guilt eating away at him every time he woke up. Sleep was supposed to be his escape, the thing he loved most in the world, but now the prince desperately looked for any way to avoid it.

The prince did not count it as fortunate but his parents had found a way to keep him busy. Not even two hours after he’d come home, they’d handed him with the enormous pile of paperwork that he’d accumulated during his absence. It was torture trying to get through it, since doing paperwork made him sleepy.

But even while he was awake, the prince felt ill at ease.

Hyungwon had never been aware of how silent his life had been. It was only after living with Changkyun did he notice that he’d grown used to the sounds of someone mulling about. Now, even with the horde of guards that had been placed outside his room, Hyungwon was hyperaware of how alone he was.

With Jooheon and Shownu in Raemi, Hyungwon only had a few people in the palace whom he could refer to as a friend or anything remotely of that nature. Sure, he could order his servants around, but life at the Starship Palace had made him soft. The harsh commands he used to incessantly spout were stuck in his throat. His mind would take him back to Changkyun, who always treated those who served him with respect. If possible, the boy would hate him more if he knew how he’d treated his servants.

The prince had attempted to tell himself that he didn’t care for Changkyun’s scorn, but he was entirely too aware of how much he cared. How badly he wanted to steal a horse from the stable and run back over the border to Raemi and apologize. How much he simply wanted to see the apprentice’s face again.

Part of Hyungwon knew that if he really wanted to, he could sneak past the guard and follow through with his plans. But a larger part was sure that Changkyun never wanted to see him again. And Hyungwon did not need to feel like his heart was being broken. Again.

Because of his hesitation, the prince spent his days grumbling sleepily in his arm chair, fitfully shifting between consciousness. On occasion, he’d touch the stack of paperwork before him, but he’d usually just sit there reading books which he’d asked servants to go fetch him.

Once a day, a guard would come in and deliver his mail, most of which were sycophantic letters from nobles who overexaggerated how relieved they were that he returned home. Today, however, the guard brought him only one letter.

Hyungwon hesitated as he took the letter out of the guard’s hand. In his humble opinion, nothing good ever came from a red letter. And the bright color the envelope was making Hyungwon tired mind anxious.

The moment he read that it was sent from Jooheon, he felt a pit start to form in his gut.

The ambassador started off his lengthy letter going into detail about the tensions rising between the Emperor and the country of Raemi.  Both countries had deployed reserve troops to the borders and they were using Jooheon as a means of communication.

Before the letter ended, Jooheon’s handwriting grew nearly illegible, indicating that the ambassador had written the last part in a rush.

_ I don’t know how to tell you this, but Changkyun was kidnapped. He’s been missing for four days now and we have no leads on where he could be. If you have any news on his location, please notify Prince Minhyuk or Chief Herbologist Kihyun immediately. _

Hyungwon blinked and squinted, shaking his head, wondering if he’d read the letter correctly. Then he read the last part over. And then again. And again. With each reread, panic started to rise inside of him, flaring out and manifesting as his whole body started to shake.

He shoved the paperwork on his desk to the floor and pulled out a fresh leaf of paper, hastily jotting down a note for Shownu, wanting to confirm with him that this was real.

The prince could not accept it.

How? How could Changkyun go missing? This was a joke! This had to be a joke…

But Jooheon rarely joked with him. Especially not about things like this.

Hyungwon haphazardly folded the letter and shoved it an envelope, barely remembering to seal and stamp it before he plowed his way to the door. The guards outside his door jolted as he slammed it open.

“You!” Hyungwon exclaimed, pointing a finger at the first guard in front of him. “Fetch the fastest hawk in the kingdom and make sure it delivers this letter!”

With a quick bow, the man took the envelope from Hyungwon and darted off in pursuit of the bird.

Ignoring the cautious eyes which watched him as he walked to his door, Hyungwon acted like nothing happened as he walked back into his room and slammed the door shut.

* * *

 

Wind whipped through Hyungwon’s hair as he pulled the reigns of his horse tighter. His heart pounded in cadence with the pounding hooves that carried him further and further from his palace. He looked over his shoulder, past his flapping cloak, at the fading lights of the castle behind him as he dared to smile just a little.

It had been years since Hyungwon snuck out of the palace, but it was nice to confirm that he could still get past his guards. It made him feel like a teenager again as he purposefully snuck away in the dead of night.

But this wasn’t some pleasure trip.

Shownu’s reply had left Hyungwon feeling hopeless as it only confirmed what Jooheon had told him. He was going to spend however long he needed moping in his office until he saw the letter attached to the back of Shownu’s. Sloppy, unfamiliar writing filled the page but Hyungwon made out the cursive “W” at the bottom and figured there was only one man who could send it.

Wonho had asked him to go to Changkyun’s parents home and check if Changkyun was there. He made up some excuse about how he couldn’t leave Prince Minhyuk’s side because of the impending war. The guard had basically handed him the address to Changkyun’s parent’s home to tell them that their son was missing, if he wasn’t somehow at his parents’ house, that is

At first, Hyungwon had planned to ignore the letter and just let it sit amongst a pile of other letters he’d never read again. But his mind kept going back to thinking - what if Changkyun was there? That one thought alone was enough to silence any form of reason the prince had. It took less than fifteen minutes for the prince to slip on his boots and throw on his cloak before vanishing into the night.

It took him a nearly an hour to ride up to the foothills of where Changkyun’s parents lived. Chills ran up and down his body as his horse trotted through the forest. It wasn’t just the cool night air nipping at him. If he looked down at the valley below him, he could see the glimmering rooftop of his summer home. This was the very forest in his dreams and nightmares. The fact he had to cross this eerie place to get to where he was going left the prince feeling unsettled, but he focused on the task ahead.

Relief spread through Hyungwon as he made out lights of a large cottage up ahead.  He slapped the reins and sped towards his destination just as rain began to drizzle from the sky. The prince dismounted and tied his horse to one of the posts in the stable by the house.

A wooden pharmacy sign outside welcomed Hyungwon as his boots sloshed on the wet ground that lead to the door. The door in front of him was aged and weathered, indicating whoever lived in this house had been here a long time. It made Hyungwon wonder what it might have been like for Changkyun to grow up here.

Before he could get lost in his thoughts, the prince raised a hand to the door and knocked.

Shuffling sounded from across the door and a few moments later it swung open. An older looking woman who had smile lines around her eyes and creases in her forehead looked up at him apologetically. Her voice was gentle as she spoke, “I’m sorry, dear, but the pharmacy’s closed for the day.”

“I-” Hyungwon froze. He had no idea what to say to her. Where did he even begin? With each second that passed his mouth hung open, making him look like a fool. The rain began to pour harder, prompting him to speak. “Is Changkyun here?”

The creases in her brow grew more prominent as she raised a brow. Changkyun looked a lot like his mother, Hyungwon noted.

“No. I’m afraid Changkyun hasn’t been around since his last visit in January,” she explained as if stating something Hyungwon should have known already. She eyed him curiously as she asked, “Are you a friend of his, by any chance?”

Hyungwon choked. He lied through his teeth knowing full well Changkyun no longer thought of him as a friend.

“Y-yes. I am,” the prince stammered as he shifted from foot to foot restlessly. He could see the wall behind her, filled with portraits of Changkyun. Looking back down at the old lady, who was now smiling at him, sent a pang through his chest.

The more he looked at her the scarier the resemblance was. She looked just like Changkyun as she smiled. There was no way he could tell her that her son was missing. He didn’t think he could bear seeing shock and pain fill her eyes, knowing how much they looked like Changkyun’s.

The prince covered his trail, wanting to retreat. “If he’s not here, then I guess I’ll be going.”

Changkyun’s mother placed a hand on his shoulder and gave him a determined look as he was about to turn away. “You’re really going to try and head back in this weather?” she chided, lowering her hand to his. “If you really are Changkyun’s friend, I don’t think I can let you go home while it’s so terrible out.”

“Are you sure it’s okay for me to stay?” Hyungwon asked, his voice small as he hovered in the doorway.

A voice from the back, likely belonging to Changkyun’s father, called out, “Stop arguing and come on in, boy. That rainwater is getting all over the floor.”

Hyungwon ducked his head into the house, barely remembering his pleasantries. “Pardon the intrusion.” He looked at Changkyun’s mother again and asked, “How are you so trusting?”

“I can see it in your eyes,” she said with a knowing grin. “The moment I said he wasn’t here you looked so disappointed, so I’m certain you know my Changkyun.”

Hyungwon felt his face grow hot. He guessed Changkyun’s sharp wit came from his mother.

“By the way, I never got your name, dear?”

Hyungwon froze. Changkyun didn’t know he was the prince because he didn’t live in Gwangju. And though it was possible to not recognize him by face, most of the residents of Gwangju knew his name. “Iksoo. My name is Iksoo,” he said, using his favorite character’s name as an alias.

Changkyun’s mom just nodded at him as she smiled, continuing to lead him past the clerk’s stand and down a narrow hall to where the living room was. Sizzling sounds came from the doorway to his left, which he assumed led to the kitchen. In front of him was a square living room with large, plush chairs and a quaint fireplace.

“Put your cloak and boots by the fire so they can dry off,” Changkyun’s mother said, gesturing to the wooden chair by the fire. “You’re welcome to wear any of Changkyun’s clothes, though I’m not sure how they’ll fit.” She chuckled good-naturedly.

Hyungwon would have found it funny in any other circumstance but he had no idea how to behave in front of Changkyun’s parents. How would a normal friend of Changkyun’s behave? Now that he thought on it, Changkyun didn’t have normal friends.

Changkyun’s father stuck his head through the kitchen doorway, greeting Hyungwon with a question. “Say, why were you looking for our son in the first place?”

“Oh…I,” he paused for a moment, thinking what reply, “I had something to say to him.”

“You had something to say to him and you seem to know him well enough to know where we live, but you don’t know that he doesn’t come back here often?” the older man questioned. His eyes scanned Hyungwon and the prince knew he was being scrutinized. Changkyun had often used a similar gaze when he was trying to decipher a situation.

“I did know that,” the prince began, nodding head slightly. “But I haven’t been able to get in touch with him lately…” He carefully fed them a white lie, knowing Changkyun had to get his smarts from somewhere.

“Oh, is that why you thought he might be here?” Changkyun’s mother asked, her eyes glinting with amusement.

Hyungwon simply nodded.

“Well, as his mother, let me tell you sometimes that boy is impossible to get a hold of. He’ll ignore you for days on end if he’s working on a new project. He gets that from his father.” She side eyed the now empty kitchen doorway.

“I heard that,” Changkyun’s father shouted playfully from the other side of the wall.

“You were meant to,” the boy’s mother yelled back before turning her attention to Hyungwon once again. She reached out and patted the prince’s cold hands. “Anyways, I don’t think Changkyun is ignoring you on purpose, dear.”

“Stop chatting him up and let him go change out of those wet clothes,” Changkyun’s father chided as he appeared in the room carrying two steam plates of food. He set the plates down on the dining table before turning to Hyungwon, “Not sure if you’re hungry, but I’ll put out a plate on the counter for you just in case.”

The prince only nodded in thanks. Changkyun’s parents were just as welcoming as he was.

“Changkyun’s room is the last room on the right. You can stay there for the night, or you’re welcome stay in the guest room across the hall,” Changkyun’s mother informed him as she pointed towards the stairs.

Hyungwon bade them goodnight before moving up the staircase, wondering how the hell he got himself into this situation. Two days ago, he was having nightmares about Changkyun not being with him and now he was at the boy’s childhood home, talking to the boy’s parents like it was no big deal? How were they so nice?

The prince didn’t realize how strained his breathing had been until he reached the clean and creaky floors of the upstairs hall. As his heartbeat slowed to a normal pace, Hyungwon walked to the very last door on the right and opened it.

He braced himself, expecting to be attacked by dust and cobwebs, but he was greeted by a completely clean room. Everything was well maintained, as if the occupant still lived there and had only gone out for a few hours. From the dusted shelves to fresh bedding, it was clear that this room was kept in order in case Changkyun ever came home. It made Hyungwon almost miss his parents thinking about it, but they would never do anything like this for him.

Shivering slightly, the prince walked to the open closet and quickly found a set of large night clothes. Thankfully, when Hyungwon put them on, they fit. Once he was dry and comfortable, the prince took a seat on the bed and looked around the room.

Though it wasn’t exactly like Changkyun’s room back in Starship Palace, it still felt very… Changkyun. The whole room gave off an air that reminded Hyungwon of his time in Raemi. Oddly enough, it made the prince feel like he was at home, like he’d traveled back to when all he had to worry about was becoming human again.

As he breathed in, he could still smell the faint scent of citrus and herbs lingering on the sheets even though Changkyun hadn’t been here in months. When the prince closed his eyes, he felt the adrenaline in his body dissipate, leaving him feeling exhausted.

The prince burrowed himself in the sheets, lulled to sleep by the sound of the rain.

When Hyungwon woke, he sat up in the bed feeling fully rested. He wasn’t sure how long he’d been asleep, but he presumed it was still early as the sun had yet to rise. The prince fumbled across the room trying to reach for the lamp. His grogginess caused him to stub his toes on something and bump into the shelf. He hissed in pain as he clutched his foot before finally finding the lamp.

Upon lighting it, he saw that his clothes were no longer in the disheveled pile on the floor but folded neatly on the chair. A note rested on top of them.

_ Figure you were tired from your travels. Dried your clothes and boots. _

The prince wanted to scream. How could people be so nice? Even his own servants weren’t this nice. Hyungwon made a mental note to make sure Changkyun’s parents were rewarded handsomely for taking such good care of him.

After he dressed himself, Hyungwon had been ready to head out. He took a good look at Changkyun’s room and realized he couldn’t leave it looking like this. Though he’d never done it, the prince made the bed the best he could. When he turned to leave again, he saw what his morning stumble had done to Changkyun’s bookshelf. Sighing, the prince hastily put them back in order.

As he did, something flew out from the shelf and landed on the floor.

The prince had thought it was just a piece of paper but when he picked it up, he noticed it was a handkerchief. His heart skipped a beat at the golden embroidery. This was  _ his  _ handkerchief. The handkerchief he’d given the little boy in the woods who saved his life.

* * *

Fourteen-year-old Prince Hyungwon didn’t like spending time with his parents. He especially hated when they dragged him to their dumb vacation homes and forced him to “spend time” with them. It was a joke, because they were always swamped with work and Hyungwon was stuck talking to all the annoying guests they’d drag along with them. In truth, he knew that his parents brought their friends and the rest of their family with them to make sure Hyungwon didn’t get lonely, but the prince found it hard to appreciate the gesture when his younger cousins were trying to shove their wooden dolls up his nose as he slept.

The only good thing about vacations was that there were very few guards around, making it easy for the prince to slip away. He knew his cousins could follow him if they wanted to, but they were all still young and too afraid to follow him into a forest. Or so he thought. Somehow the little munchkins always managed to find him when he rested at the edge of the woods. So, he went in deeper and climbed up the trees, resting on branches he knew they wouldn’t be able to climb. Part of him acknowledged it was evil to go somewhere they couldn’t follow him, but he just wanted to relax. And the sunlight which filtered through the trees was perfect for reading books and napping.

He’d only found out after he’d crashed onto the ground that it was a bad idea to nap on a branch.

The prince groaned as he felt pain settle into his body. His arms wobbled as he barely managed to pull himself up and rest against a tree. He tried to stand but he’d scraped his leg pretty badly. He immediately regretted going so deep into the woods. Would his dumb munchkin cousins dare to find him here? Or would he die here?

Shuffling sounds came through the brush and Hyungwon tensed. This was the woods. How stupid could he be? There were probably wild animals here lured by the scent of his fresh blood. What if it was a fox? Or, dare he think it, a wolf?

Hyungwon gulped in terror as he felt the creature draw near. He picked up a stick in hopes he might be able to fight it off, but the prince knew he was in serious trouble.

He held back a scream as he watched the bushes part, revealing a surprised young boy.

“Are you alright?” he asked, sounding genuinely concerned but keeping his distance as Hyungwon held out the stick.

The prince eyed the boy. He was young. His cheeks were still puffy with baby fat and his eyes were far too filled with hope and innocence for him to have been older than Hyungwon. On top of that, he was dressed strangely, wearing a bright red scarf over his cream summer tunic.

“Who are you and what are you doing here?” Hyungwon asked, not sure if the boy was some kind of weird hallucination.

Confusion spread across the boy’s face. He spoke slowly as if he thought Hyungwon had a hard time comprehending, “I live here, so I should be the one asking you that.”

“Nonsense, I live here,” Hyungwon brushed it off, shaking his head as he pointed down at the hill of his parents’ summer home. “See. That building way down there with the pearl roofing. That’s my house.”

The boy’s eyebrows rose higher. “You must have hurt your head pretty badly when you fell. That’s the King and Queen’s house. There’s no reason for anyone from there would be all the way up here.”

_ Maybe some of them were trying to get away from their dumb relatives.  _ Hyungwon wishes he could reply, but he wasn’t sure he wanted to tell the boy who he was. The prince wanted to get away from here and away from the weird boy. He decided to ignore the boy and continue with his pathetic attempts to get on his feet.

The boy stood there watching his struggle for a few moments before he cleared his throat. “I can bandage that for you.”

Hyungwon scoffed, “No thanks, I can’t let some stranger fix my leg.”  _ Much less some little kid. _

“I would offer to carry you to my parents’ pharmacy but I don’t think I’d be able to,” the boy stated as he squatted down next to Hyungwon’s leg.

The prince sat up a little, noticing that the book the boy had with him was a book on herbs. “Your parents are pharmacists?”

The boy’s eyes sparkled as he pointed up the hill, “Yeah! We live in that house where the smoke is coming from.”

Hyungwon remembered hearing something about really good pharmacists living close to his summer home. Plus seeing how innocent this kid looked, he doubted he was lying.

The prince gave in with a sigh. “Alright, fix me up.”

Before Hyungwon could reconsider, the boy had managed to mince together a paste from the things in his basket. He rubbed the sharp smelling poultice on Hyungwon’s leg and the prince was astounded as he felt his pain immediately replaced by mild discomfort.

Hyungwon stared up at the boy as he finished off by tying the scarf that had hung around his neck on the price’s injured leg.

The boy wiped off the sweat that head began to trickle down his forehead before he looked the stunned prince in the eyes and smiled. “There. That should be better.”

He offered the prince a hand to pull himself up and Hyungwon took it, feeling hot sparks jolt down his arm when they touched.

For a second, shock flashed in the boy’s eyes, as if he’d felt the same sensation and Hyungwon knew it wasn’t just a figment of his imagination. Though the prince wasn’t sure what just happened, he was glad to be standing once again.

“Well, thank you for fixing my leg,” Hyungwon said as he tested his balance, remembering to be cordial for once.

The boy remained smiling and the prince wasn’t sure why it was so gravitating. “Thanks for giving allowing me to test myself,” the boy replied cheekily before pointing at Hyungwon’s leg and offering advice. “My scarf isn’t as useful as a real bandage would be so make sure to switch it with something the works.”

The prince nodded, and a blanket of awkward silence covered them as they stood in place.

The world had seemed to stop around them until the boy spoke up again, “If you’re all set, I’ll be on my way.” He gave a small bow before he began to step back.

“Wait,” Hyungwon called out, holding up a hand while rifling through his pockets with the other. He pulled out his handkerchief, the only thing he’d had with him at the time and handed it to the boy. “Here.”

The boy’s forehead filled with wrinkles as he held it up to Hyungwon. “You want me to wrap your leg with this?”

The sides of Hyungwon’s lips rose as he shook his head. “No. I want you to keep it.”

When the kid just blinked at him, Hyungwon explained, “It’s a token of appreciation. If you take this to any palace in Gwangju and show them this, they will know to reward you well.”

The boy held up the handkerchief and looked at Hyungwon with worry and amusement. “Thank you for the very kind gift. I’ll treasure it always. Remember to have your head checked when you get back to wherever. I think you might have a slight concussion.”

“I’m not joking! You can seriously use it,” the prince cried out exasperatedly.

The boy nodded, in an almost sarcastic manner, “I think I’ll just save it for a rainy day.”

The prince let out an annoyed huff, “Do with it what you will, it’s yours now.”

Before he moved to leave again the boy turned back and asked, “See you around?” His tone was hopeful and eager, making Hyungwon wonder if the boy really wanted to see him again.

Part of his mind was telling the prince to say yes, but he knew better. The guards would swarm him when he returned, especially because he’d be coming back with his leg in a bandage.

“Probably not,” Hyungwon replied, feeling sad as he watched the twinkle in the boy’s eyes die out.

“It was nice meeting you.” The boy flashed a smile, one that didn’t reach his eyes, before he picked up his things and headed up the hill.

Hyungwon stayed for the longest time watching the boy’s retreating form, contemplating how lucky he’d been to have someone like that find him.

He snapped out of his trance when his ears picked up the sounds of muffled yelling and the clang of metal armor from below the hill. The prince knew he’d be in trouble when he went back to his house, but he wished he could stay a little longer watching the mysterious helpful boy fade into the brush.

* * *

Hyungwon departed the house feeling more disoriented than he had when he entered. He’d hastily jotted down a thank you letter for Changkyun’s parents to see when they woke, but he made sure to leave the house before either of them did. Too many questions were buzzing in his mind, too many emotions were flowing through him.

Changkyun was the boy he’d been searching for. Changkyun had left the country because of his family’s inaction. Changkyun hated him. Changkyun was missing.

Each thought was like an arrow striking through the prince’s heart. He rode home in a daze, trotting through the forests and the dirt paths much slower than he had the night before. The prince was surprised that he’d managed to make it back to his castle in one piece with his mind so preoccupied.

But he should have noticed something was off.

It was way too easy for him to sneak back into the palace and he’d realized that only when two muscular guards hoisted him up and dragged him outside the stable.

“Unhand me at once. Do you know who I am?” Hyungwon kicked and screamed, but he knew they were moving too far away from the central grounds of the palace to alert any guards.

The guard to his right adjusted the hold he had on the prince’s arm. He spoke in a voice that Hyungwon was surprised to recognize. “Of course, we do, Your Highness. That’s exactly why we’re taking you with us.”

“Wonho?” The prince asked as he stopped resisting.

The guard clicked his tongue. “That’s Wonho-hyung to you.”

“Treat your hyungs with respect, Your Highness,” the guard to his left half-heartedly admonished, sounding slightly entertained.

“Shownu-hyung?” Hyungwon’s tone grew shrill with astonishment.

Wonho pulled off his mask to glare at the prince properly. “Oh, so he’s a hyung and I’m a piece of meat?”

“Yeah, but I wasn’t going to say it aloud,” the prince admitted, holding in his laughter as he watched the guard’s now exposed face turn red.

“You’re insufferable,” he spat coarsely, holding the prince’s arm in a tightened grip.

The rest of their trek was short and silent. They’d reached an outer road, which led to the borderlands when the prince finally asked, “Where are you two taking me?”

In front of them was a line of carriages, some holding weapons, some holding people.

“We’re going to rescue Changkyun,” Wonho stated simply before he let go of Hyungwon and hopped up onto the first carriage.

Hyungwon turned to Shownu, who was still holding him by the arm. “What?”

The older man cleared his throat. “You remember that other wizard who was captured?”

Hyungwon nodded wearily.

“Well, he had a few friends who were able to track him down,” Shownu paused, eyeing Hyungwon as if he wondered whether or not he should finish.

The prince was not having it. He prompted the guard to answer. “And?”

“And Kihyun was able to confirm Changkyun was also there. So, we’re going to rescue him.” Shownu finished, finally letting the prince loose as they stood by a carriage.

He scoffed as he stepped away and crossed his arms. “Why the hell would I rescue Changkyun?”

Hyungwon jumped when the carriage door swung open, revealing an armor-clad Prince Minhyuk. He glared down at the Prince of Gwangju in a way that made the tall man feel small.

“Because you love him, don’t you?” the blond prince asked, his lips curling into a knowing smirk that left the former frog prince stunned silent.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so I've got quite a lot to get off my chest. First off, college starts up again on Monday for me which means I am racing against time to finish this story. The good news is I might finish soon. (Personally I want to finish before next week but if I don't then I can't help it...) Second off, I will be writing another fanfic soon but not for Monsta X. I'm currently obsessed with Wanna One and shit happened to where I had a fic idea I couldn't let go of.  
> HOWEVER, I do have another chaptered MX fic planned which I will eventually get to writing so don't worry too much XD 
> 
> I know this chapter was a LITTLE slow but please forgive me. We'll get to the fun stuff soon. 
> 
> And yeah... I know that cliffhanger was EVIL XD I promise I'll make it up to you guys XD


	9. Act 3. Part 3.  The Truth and What is Spellbindingly True

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, I'm aware spellbindingly is not a real word but nothing else fit so I'm making up words now.

The question left Hyungwon so shaken that he sparsely remembered being loaded into the carriage.

He was so lost in thought that he managed to completely drown out the chatty blond prince sitting across him. Minhyuk, who’d just rolled his eyes at Hyungwon’s daze, turned his attention to Shownu. Their conversation touched on important topics for the journey ahead, but even then, the prince of Gwangju didn’t register it. He just sat there, silently staring out the window, questioning everything.

He knew he liked Changkyun. He wasn’t that oblivious to his own feelings, but to go as far as to say he loved him? The prince wasn’t sure if he could say he didn’t. And he was just as uncertain about saying he was.

Was that what it all meant? If you loved someone, are they always in your head and on your mind?

Hyungwon sighed for the fiftieth time since the carriage wheels had started rolling, too preoccupied with his thoughts to notice that Prince Minhyuk had been calling his name.

The blond prince kicked his foot, finally drawing his attention. “Did you hear that, Mopey? We’re going to meet the rest of our team at the border,” the loud prince declared, much to Hyungwon’s annoyance.

The former frog prince grimaced as he folded his arms and sat up. “Will the pink haired gremlin be there?”

“The pink what?” Shownu asked, tilting his head in confusion.

Prince Minhyuk waved it off, explaining without missing a beat, “He means Kihyun.” The tanned guard frowned disapprovingly but Minhyuk didn’t seem to care. “Yes, he will be there. Along with a few more guards.”

Hyungwon gave a slight nod, not too sure about the whole situation. Infiltrating Eodum was much easier said than done. He wasn’t even aware if anyone knew the layout of the country, much less had a map of it. Since the dividing of the kingdom hundreds of years ago, only Eodum remained secluded.

Growing up, the prince had heard many rumors about the horrible beasts which lived in the land. How they would come out and terrorize the villagers who would try to run away, but no one made it across the badlands without full knowledge of how to navigate through the passes.

Recently, there were whisperings amongst the other courts, which Hyungwon hadn’t paid much heed to originally, but it made sense to him now. Eodum was looking for wizards to power an army. The prince had finally come to know that the living conditions for mages caused them to be easy targets for Eodum.

It made his stomach churn with disgust as he pictured people being taken to a life where they would have no means of escape.

His mind was still racing as the carriage came to halt and the door swung open, revealing a sneering pink-haired wizard.

“You three just had to waste our valuable time to pick up his sorry ass,” Kihyun seethed, speaking over Hyungwon to Minhyuk and Shownu. His narrowed eyes focused on Hyungwon as his lips curled down further, “I bet he didn’t even want to come. Why the fuck did you three bother?”

Instead of answering, Minhyuk turned the question to him. “Why did I bother, Hyungwon?”

The frog prince held his tongue, knowing that the other prince knew full well what the answer was. He simply wanted to hear him say it.

Kihyun waited for a few seconds longer before his patience wore out. He gave one last offended glance at Hyungwon before stomping away.

“If you’re going to play the coward, Kihyun is going to walk all over you,” Prince Minhyuk leaned in and whispered in a voice low enough for only Hyungwon to hear.

Wonho, who had hopped off the driver’s seat, stood at the side and raised a brow at Minhyuk. Hyungwon thought he had whiplash from how quickly the other prince shifted from his condemning stance to a brighter, cheerful one.

The blond prince ran up to his guard and wrapped his arms around in a full-on display of affection. He nuzzled his hair into the guard’s broad chest and whined, “I missed you so much! Why don’t you ride in the carriage with us on the way back?”

“Someone has to drive it,” Wonho chuckled as he lifted his arms to wrap around Minhyuk.

“I’ll sit outside with you then?” the prince offered hopefully.

“You are to stay inside,” the guard warned, swinging the prince around as they walked towards the group up ahead.

Hyungwon wished he had something to shove in his ears so he couldn’t have to listen to the two of them.  He only quickened his pace to get away but he could still hear their voices behind him and it made him shiver. Were they like this all the time? Even with Changkyun around?

Minhyuk was complaining again. “Why are you no fun?”

And surprisingly, Wonho was trying to be a voice of reason. “Because I’m trying to keep you safe.”

As they approached the larger group, Hyungwon was thankful he wasn’t the only one who was uncomfortable with the couple’s openness.

A lanky guard with curly red hair and big eyes which reminded Hyungwon faintly of an alpaca cleared his throat. The outline of his veins could be seen in his arms as he clutched his embossed helmet in his fists. Hyungwon read the name, Lim Youngmin, which had been printed at the side.

Youngmin addressed them with a tight smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “Gentlemen, now that we’re all here, it’s time to discuss the plan of action.”

* * *

Changkyun’s lungs filled with damp cool air that was tainted by the smell of rot. Droplets of an unknown substance trickled down from the low ceiling and onto his face, causing him to wake. Upon opening his eyes, Changkyun saw a glowing, floating bubble of magic in front of him. The transparency of the orb allowed him to look inward and see the occupant of the bubble.

He sharply inhaled when as he thought he recognized who was inside. “Sewoon?” he whispered, mentally rechecking the younger boy’s features. His stomach dropped when they matched. Why was Sewoon here? Why had he encompassed himself like that?

Sewoon was a bright young wizard who’d come from the Imperial City to study at Starship Palace. Changkyun had often seen him in the library reading or asleep by piles of textbooks. The younger boy was quiet, but Changkyun knew he was talented. Kihyun himself had said Sewoon might surpass him one day, which was the greatest compliment the wizard had ever given anyone. 

What had made such a powerful young wizard do this to himself? 

As Changkyun tried to move closer to think of what he could do, he felt the weight of magic repressing chains on his wrist. It was then he finally noticed that he was stuck to a brick wall in a windowless room. He had been kidnapped and locked in a dungeon, with only a person frozen in a magical bubble as company.

The clang of the door slamming open pulled him from his thoughts. Changkyun stiffened as two people entered the room. Unlike the hooded figures from before, these men boasted their sharp angular features, gazing at him in a way that reminded Changkyun of vultures.

The taller of the two walked up to Changkyun, almost unnecessarily close.

“You were taken from the same place that this boy is from. You will undo the magic he has placed on himself.”

Changkyun could see in the way this man spoke with his back overly straight and his shoulders painfully squared that he was trying, almost too hard, to assert authority. A new recruit perhaps? Someone who was trying to make himself seem worthy?

When the wizard looked the man in the eyes, he seemed to force himself to hold the gaze. That hesitance was enough to tell Changkyun his suspicious were partly grounded.

“Even if I knew how, I wouldn’t tell you,” Changkyun spoke calmly, keeping his tone even and cool.

The second guard didn’t seem to appreciate that very much. He pushed the first guard aside and snapped at Changkyun, “Figure it out and lose the attitude, or else you can rot here. Like the ones before you.”

Changkyun had to keep himself from flinching at the malice the second guard projected. He had a shorter temper than the first guard, but there was some form an anxiousness lingering in his words.

The wizard did his best to look completely unfazed as he watched the guards retreat.

“We’ll be back later to see if you’re feeling more cooperative,” the first man said before he slammed the door shut.

Changkyun winced at the sound as it reverberated all around the hollow room. Now that he was finally alone again, the young wizard let out the breath he’d been holding and slumped against the cold slimy wall. He looked down at his hands and frowned. The rusty metal cuffs that were blocking his magic were starting to make his wrist chafe.

In his head, he hoped someone was looking for him. But Changkyun knew that if he really wanted to get out, he’d have to do it on his own. He sat listening to the sounds of the building around him as his mind raced to think of a way out. He’d thought through plan after plan before he settled on one which seemed to work the best. The plan was still a long shot, but it was his only means of escaping this miserable place.

* * *

Raemi’s 2nd prince, Minhyuk’s little brother, Gwanghyun had managed to follow a trail of cloth that were once parts of Changkyun’s cloak. He and Youngmin had mapped out several routes which led to the building they were supposed to infiltrate. Everyone had agreed that it was good idea to split up into teams and meet there. Even Hyungwon had thought it was a good idea, until he found himself stuck with the last person he wanted to be paired with.

At his side, muttering and dragging his feet was the very pink-haired wizard the prince wanted to strangle.

Kihyun scoffed as he tried to keep pace with the taller man. “Just my luck to be here with you.”

“I could say the same thing,” Hyungwon sneered, walking even faster than before.

“No, no, you really fucking couldn’t,” Kihyun seethed as he caught up to the prince and blocked his path, forcing them both to halt.

Hyungwon knew if he ignored him and kept going, that their walk would be even longer than it already was. Even if Hyungwon was a bit snippy with him, there was no reason for Kihyun to go as far out as he did if it wasn’t something severe. “What is your problem with me? Seriously, you act like I destroyed everything you love.”

An inferno lit Kihyun’s dark eyes. His shoulders squared and his nostrils flared as he curled his lips.

“You have no idea, do you?!” he seethed, his mouth practically dripping fire. “Your family is indirectly responsible for all the terrible things that have happened in my life!” Kihyun hissed and stepped forward, forcing Hyungwon to take a step back. “My parents died fleeing from a raid! Me being kidnapped when I was a baby! That was all because Gwangju wasn’t safe enough for wizards. The only good thing that came out of it was being rescued by my master. He raised me like his own, but I lost him too. All because of your stupid family’s failure to rectify one simple issue. Changkyun is the closest thing to a little brother I ever had. And now, I’ve lost him too...”

Tears of rage began to pool in the wizard’s eyes as his whole body shook.

“You don’t understand how hard it is for me,” he went on, his voice growing soft as he began to choke up. “I have to keep fighting every day. I have to spend time away from my apprentice, who needs me, in order to keep the borderlands tame. So, excuse me if I don’t like you very much.”

Hyungwon was once again stunned silent. How could he be so oblivious to people’s suffering? He’d thought he’d understood what his people went through by Changkyun’s account, but this was a level of terrible he wasn’t familiar with. How in the world had his parent not even noticed this?

He looked up at the pink-haired wizard who was breathing hard.

Hyungwon still sort of wanted to punch him in the face for all that he’d done, but he couldn’t help but feel sorrow and regret for the man.

“I’m sorry…” the prince whispered, hoping Kihyun could feel that his intentions were sincere.

Kihyun didn’t answer him as he started to walk away.

Hyungwon followed close by, hoping to convince the wizard that he was a good person.  The prince stomped through the brush and reached the area Kihyun seemed to be scanning. He cleared his throat, hoping to get the pink-haired man’s attention before he began his speech.

“Look, Kihyun, I didn’t mean-”

“Shut up!” Kihyun cut him off as he half-yelled, half-whispered.

Hyungwon was about to get angry until he saw what the wizard was pointing at.

Ahead of them was one of the entrances that Gwanghyun had mapped. “There are twelve guards posted up ahead. I can try to take them all but I should probably save my magic,” Kihyun said, more to himself than to Hyungwon.

The prince, however, decided that this was his cue. He puffed out his chest as closer to the edge of their hiding spot. Hyungwon confidently leaned against the walling, putting a hand to the pommel of the sword at his waist.

Kihyun eyed him skeptically. “Really? You want me to believe that someone with noodles for arms could handle a sword like that.”

“I’ll have you know, Pinky, I’m a pretty good with a sword,” Hyungwon said, falling back to his cavalier mannerisms.

The wizard’s face scrunched up as he mockingly crooned, “I’ll believe it when I see, Frog Boy.”

Instead of replying, the prince jumped out from behind the barricade and into the fray. His limbs moved in a flurry as he slashed and dodged and kicked, mowing down row after row of unsuspecting guards.

Hyungwon face lit with a crazy grin as he saw a fresh batch of guards approach who he just as effortlessly took down. The prince had never thought the day would come where his intense lessons with Shownu would come to use. But currently he was thankful for the older man’s spartan ways of getting Hyungwon to exercise.

He was breathing hard and nearly drenched in sweat when a mildly impressed looking wizard walked up to him and clapped. “So, you are good for something after all.”

Even when he was complimenting him, Kihyun had to be an ass.

Hyungwon swiped his sword in the air, purposely spraying Kihyun with the blood it was coated in. “Thank you for acknowledging talent.”

Kihyun curled his lip in disgust, walking past Hyungwon to enter the building.

The prince congratulated himself mentally before he followed Kihyun inside.

As they entered the hall, the two of them noticed that the building was much larger on the inside than it was on the outside.

“This place is built like a palace,” Hyungwon remarked, taking note of the pristine marble flooring and heavily decorated walls.

Kihyun silently agreed to the assessment, but chose not to vocalize it. “I sense this building is made with magic. There is no other explanation for why it looked so different on the outside.”

They kept their eyes open until they made it to the end of hall which diverted in two directions.

“I’m going to go this way. You go that way,” Kihyun ordered, already moving where he’d pointed.

The prince placed a hand on the shorter man’s shoulder. Though he was far from friends with the pink-haired wizard, he knew that it wasn’t a great idea to go roaming in a strange place all alone.

“Are you sure you want to split up?” Hyungwon asked sounding as unsure as felt.

Kihyun deadpanned as he retorted, “Do you want to stay with me?”

On second thought, maybe going by himself was better than sticking to an irritable wizard.

“You’re right. I’ll go that way,” Hyungwon declared, letting go of the man’s shoulder.

Kihyun just gave him an acknowledging nod and walked away. Hyungwon wondered for half a second if maybe he should follow the smaller man, but he decided against it. He had a feeling he’d able to find Changkyun all on his own.

* * *

Changkyun kept time to the fall of the droplets, waiting until he heard their shuffling footsteps outside before he yelled, “I’ll help you! Just let me out of these things!”

He readied himself as the door opened and the two guards entered the room once more. They carried themselves with the same haughty air as before, only this time they didn’t seem as tense. How badly did they need to get Sewoon out of that enchantment? What had they even done to the boy to force him to use it?

“I knew you were a reasonable man,” the first guard mockingly remarked as he walked up to Changkyun and dislodged the chains which bound the wizard’s wrists from the wall. The man tightly gripped Changkyun’s arms as he undid cuffs only to rebind his hands with rope.

The second guard eyed him with crossed arms and downturned lips as he impatiently asked, “You figured out how to undo it, right?”

“I’m not entirely sure if what I have in mind will work but I am familiar with this spell,” Changkyun fed them a small lie.

Kihyun had mentioned this charm to him only once in the past. It was used as a means of last defense and was nearly impenetrable, but using it was a double-edged sword. The spell could only be undone externally. Meaning whoever was inside was stuck there until someone who knew how to get them out could reach them. If no one ever found them, then they were trapped in their own magic for eternity.

But there was a catch, and Changkyun was going to exploit it.

The guard didn’t seem too impressed with Changkyun’s answer. “Get on with it then.”

Changkyun prayed that today the gods of persuasion would be on his side. He walked up to Sewoon’s head and held up his hands. “Ah, see, I can’t do this on my own.”

If both guards’ grimaces could sink any lower, they did.

“What?” the first guard spat sharply.

“I need both of you two put your hands on either side of that bubble, otherwise this won’t work,” Changkyun advised, demonstrating what he wanted them to do without touching the orb.

“Are you playing with us?” The second guard puffed out his chest defensively.

Changkyun mentally reminded himself to keep calm and play along for just a little longer. The wizard huffed out a short, testy sigh. “Look, I don’t think I’m in any position to be joking with you. Do you want me to do the spell or not?”

“Alright, alright. We’ll do as you say,” the first guard assuaged, gulping as his hands hovered over the magical cocoon.

The second guard eyed Changkyun wearily before he followed in suit.

Changkyun kept his expression as neutral as possible as he instructed them, “On my mark, place your hands on the orb.”

“One,” he sounded out, looking down at his own hands which he held centimeters the orb’s surface. He could feel magic rise off the orb, reaching up to him and trying to draw him in.

“Two.” He looked up at the guards in front of him who were now too focused on grabbing the orb to look at him.

He waited a half a second too long before calling out, “Three.” At the number, Changkyun had jerked his body forward, but unlike the guards he stopped before he breached the magical threshold.

Only the two guards touched the orb, causing tendrils of magic to lash out and wind themselves up their arms.

_ Anyone who comes in direct contact with the enchantment will have the energy drained from their body to sustain the user _ . Kihyun had once mentioned that to him and Changkyun had wracked his brain trying to remember.

“What is this?! What have you done?!” the first guard screeched as he struggled against the pull of the magic.

Changkyun didn’t answer as he stepped away from the orb and towards the guard on his left.  He unsheathed the man’s sword and cut the rope that bound his wrists.

“You bastard! Just wait until we sound the alarm!” the second man yelled as he frantically tried to escape Sewoon’s binding magic.

The orb had already drained the first guard of his energy, causing him to pass out and fall to the floor.

Changkyun knew if he waited long enough the second guard would soon join him. But Changkyun didn’t know if he had that kind of time.

The wizard placed a glowing hand to the man’s forehead, forcing him to sleep with his magic.  

“I don’t think so,” Changkyun declared as he chained the two guards together and gagged them with neckties.

Sewoon’s orb had stopped crackling with magic, allowing Changkyun to see his still sleeping friend frozen in the orb. He frowned as he saw the still unmoving Sewoon.

Upon first glance, the way Sewoon’s mouth unhung open in an “O” would have looked innocent and cute. However, anyone could tell something was wrong the moment they noticed that his chest did not rise or fall. The younger wizard was as good as a statue.

As dumb as it was to escape lugging around a giant magical orb on a rope, Changkyun didn’t have the heart to leave Sewoon behind.

To his surprise, the halls were empty, making it easy for him to tether Sewoon around. Changkyun walked and walked trying to find a proper exit until he heard the rush of guards and blaring alarms. There was no way he could sneak around them with Sewoon hovering at his side.

He looked at his friend apologetically before tying the orb to a statue, hidden by a niche in the wall.

Changkyun mentally promised Sewoon he’d comeback as soon as he found an exit, and then he ran.

* * *

Gwanghyun and Youngmin used the distraction caused by the others to search the corners of the hall.

“Are you sure he’s close, Your Highness?” Youngmin inquired as he covered Gwanghyun while the boy studied the glowing rock in his hands.

Gwanghyun lifted the stone in the direction of a well-hidden alcove. He frowned as all he saw was statue and some weird bubble. “If this thing is right, then Sewoon should be right there.”

Youngmin locked eyes with the younger boy. “You don’t think that it could be…” his voice trailed off.

The younger prince didn’t want it to be true, but he couldn’t ignore it if that bubble truly was Sewoon. He climbed onto the statue’s base and tugged at the rope.

At one point, Youngmin had joined in to help him, but Gwanghyun hardly noticed. His heart beat in his throat as the orb came down to face level. He gasped when he saw Sewoon’s sleeping face inside of it.

The young prince wanted to break down into a sob but Youngmin threw a hand over his mouth.

Singular footsteps echoed down the hall, resounding on the floors.

Both boys silently wished that whoever it was would pass them by without noticing, but Youngmin readied his sword.

When a familiar face approached the alcove, the guard lowered his hand.

“Great Wizard Kihyun,” Gwanghyun immediately greeted with a small bow.

“Are you boys okay?” the wizard asked, even though they should be the ones asking him that question.

Parts of Kihyun’s clothes had been burned or ripped in some way. He even sported a few cuts and bruises, which for the great wizard was rare. Whoever or whatever he’d fought had been strong enough to deal him damage.

The two boys could only nod as they eyed him with worry.

Before Kihyun could let out a sigh of relief, his eyes peered over the unharmed boys, to the bubble of magic behind them.

His eyes went wide as he stepped closer, causing the boys to hesitantly separate.

“Is that Sewoon?” the wizard asked still eyeing the orb in disbelief.

“Y-yes,” Gwanghyun stuttered, keeping his head bowed and his voice small. The young prince looked up at Kihyun with tear filled eyes and pleaded, “Is there any way you can fix this? Please tell me you can fix this.”

The great wizard rolled his shoulders back, straightening his expression as he motioned for the boys to pass Sewoon to him. Unlike Changkyun, Kihyun had dealt with a few situations like this before. Depending on the will of the occupant, his unlocking enchantment could go off without a hitch or go horribly wrong.

He sucked in a deep breath, allowing magic from his body and surroundings to accumulate in his palm. When a blinding pink color lit his hands, Kihyun muttered an incantation and placed them directly onto the orb. The magical surface did not lash out but instead began to crack. Bright light seeped through the fissures until it encompassed the whole hallway. When encasement looked completely shattered, it popped over, raining magical dust.

Sewoon fell to the ground coughing as he breathed in the fine particles.

In flurry of moment, Gwanghyun and Youngmin rushed to his side and pulled him up. The boy stood up placing the weight over his body in the arms which they’d each looped over their shoulders.

Sewoon blinked sleepily, taking in his surroundings, stopping to focus on Kihyun. “Hyung? What are you doing here? Where am I?”

“Sewoon-ah, do you remember what happened to you?” Kihyun gently asked, keeping himself from giving in to the unconscious urge to push the boy’s hair back.

The younger wizard closed his eyes, allowing his head to loll from side to side as he thought. Seconds had passed before Sewoon stood up straight and alert, looking the older wizard in the eyes. “I was fighting off a raid by the border. I sent Gwanghyun and Youngmin back to the palace before I…” he trailed off as if he remembered something important. Sewoon gave a sharp, soft inhale as he recollected.

Seeing the normally mellow and calm young wizard react like that made Kihyun beyond curious as to what could have set him off.

“Hyung, there’s something I have to tell you.” This time when he spoke there was a slight inflection in his tone, that made Kihyun’s anxiety start to peak.

“What is it?” The pink-haired wizard felt winded, but he did his best to not let it reflect in his actions. He’d be damned if he caused these kids to panic.

Sewoon steadied his voice. “Kim Jeongnam. He can’t be trusted.”

Though Kihyun felt the words projected onto him. Though he believed Sewoon completely, he couldn’t just condemn the High Wizard of Gwangju for no reason. “Look, I know he’s a scumbag, but what do you mean?”

The younger wizard’s body went rigid while he kept his tone even. “He was selling wizards for money, hyung. He wanted to strike a deal with me so he could get access to the wizards closer to the Imperial City. When I said no, he tried to control me into doing his bidding, so I had to use the protection spell. He’s been working with Eodum this whole time. I think he’s here, in this building.”

Kihyun could see past the determination in Sewoon’s face, to the parts which showed that the boy was still shaken and scared. He eyed the younger boy with pity, unable to imagine what the boy had gone through, what the boy had likely seen.

If Sewoon was right, Kihyun had an idea of what would be ahead of them. His expression hardened as he set his jaw, doing his best to hide his growing concerns for his friends. “We have to go find the others. Now.”

* * *

Hyungwon had been horribly wrong about his hallway.

He didn’t even make it past two corridors before he’d run into a horde of guards. As much as the prince was glad to put his skills into practice, he knew he couldn’t hold off the seemingly never-ending stream of guards. But it seemed luck wasn’t on his side. Just as he disposed of the ones on his left, new guards popped up on his right. The cycle repeated viciously, filling the halls with guards over and over. Even with all the fighting, he’d barely made it to the other end of the hall.

Where the hell were all the guards coming from? They poured into the halls continuously and Hyungwon felt himself start to tire. With his usually smooth movements now shaky, he dodged a blade too slowly and felt it graze his cheek. 

A cut?! On his precious face?!

Hyungwon grunted, using the energy in his new-found fury to push guards back. But even then, he knew it wouldn’t last forever.

He was almost surrounded when a blast of magic shot out from behind him, knocking down the set of guards which had nearly overtaken him. Hyungwon normalized his strained breathing before he turned back to give who assumed was Kihyun a snarky thank you.

But it wasn’t Kihyun in front of him. It was Changkyun, dressed exactly as he’d seen him last.

“What are you doing here?” the straight-faced wizard asked, keeping his tone neutral.

Hyungwon barely managed to wheeze out a reply. “I’m here to rescue you.”

“I’m pretty sure I rescued you back there,” Changkyun remarked, a hint of playfulness spread across his face.

The prince could feel his heart beat faster in his chest as his mind slowly welcomed the thought that maybe Changkyun had forgiven him. But the moment was short lived as the sound of footsteps echoed through the halls.

Changkyun went straight-faced again. All the warmth in the atmosphere retracted as he shifted his focus to the oncoming guards.

“We should go before the reinforcements show up.” The wizard did not look back at him as he spoke, intently looking out into the next hallway as he racked his brain for a plan.

Hyungwon seeing the boy’s distress, leaned over his shoulder and checked the hallway as well. It was mostly empty, save for a pack of guards standing at the opposite end of the long hallway. Thankfully, they were a good distance away from Changkyun and Hyungwon. If the two were silent and quick enough, they could make it.

He tapped Changkyun on the shoulder, trying to hold back gushy sensations in his heart as the boy looked up at him curiously. Hyungwon forced down whatever feelings were trying to surface as he avoided Changkyun’s gaze and pointed towards the door he’d seen.

The apprentice nodded as if he’d understood and then without another thought he ran towards the door. Hyungwon stood there with his mouth hanging open for a second before running off.

Changkyun apparently thought he’d meant bolt for it instead of sneak up quietly. Hyungwon wanted to both laugh and scold the boy, but he chose to run after him instead.

Of course, their movements had alerted the guards down the hall, who were now running after them.

Hyungwon knew that they had to get the guards off their trail so he grabbed Changkyun’s hand. A familiar jolt ran up both their arms, like it had in the past. Changkyun gasped as he looked up at him with eyes as wide as dish plates. Hyungwon wished he could ask him what that was but they had to get out of there.

The prince tugged the boy along as he ditched the plan to run into the room. Instead, he narrowly severed past the guards down a new hall. He quickly entered the first room he saw and shut the door as quickly and quietly as he could.

He’d been so immersed in hearing if guards were running by that it wasn’t until Changkyun elbowed him in the ribs that Hyungwon realized he’d been holding the boy tightly while covering his mouth.  

“Owf!” Hyungwon groaned as he let Changkyun go so he could nurse his wound. 

Lines filled Changkyun’s forehead as he furrowed his brow and questioned Hyungwon, “What was that?”

Hyungwon looked around, slightly confused as to what he could be referring to. “What was what?”

“Don’t tell me you didn’t feel that too?” the boy screamed, his eyes wide with anger. “Why did touching your hand release my magic to you? Are you a wizard?” He breathed heavily when he finished, pointing an accusatory finger at Hyungwon.

The prince tilted his head, looking at Changkyun as if the boy had gone mad. “What?”

“Hyung, that jolt wasn’t just some weird static. That was magic. My magic. Being transferred to you!” Changkyun explained, exasperatedly motioning with his hands.

“How could it be transferred to me? I literally can’t do anything with it.” Hyungwon contested, as confused as to why Changkyun’s magic had been transferred to him as the boy in question.

The young wizard looked up at him, knowing that the prince likely had no answer, but hoping he could find one anyway. “That’s what I want to know. How and why did that happen?”

The two were so focused on each other that they jumped when a strange voice called out from the second floor. “Ah, so that’s why you were able to resist me.”

Hyungwon’s body locked up. The voice carried a similar drawl to one Hyungwon had heard a million times before in his court. He hoped his hearing was just off as moved his eyes nervously across the dimly lit ballroom and stared up at the source of the sound.

Standing proudly on the second-floor balcony was the High Wizard of Gwangju, Kim Jeongnam. His patronizing odious stare held down Changkyun and Hyungwon, as if he were gazing at intruders.

Hyungwon felt fire climb his veins as his assumptions were realized. Kim Jeongnam was not only the High Wizard of his country, he was also his parents’ good friend and at times their most trusted advisor. There was no good reason for a man like that to be in a place like this. But there he stood in front of the prince as if he owned the place and Hyungwon had the sinking feeling that he did.

Muscles contracted in the prince’s throat as he forced himself to call out to the man, his voice dripping with accusation and outrage.

“What are you doing here?!”

Jeongnam merely raised a well combed thick brow. “What am I doing here?” An egregious smile stretched across his face. “I live here, Your Highness.”

The pit in Hyungwon’s stomach sunk lower. How did any of this make sense? This couldn’t be right, even though the prince had heard him loud and clear.

“You live in Gwangju.” Hyungwon stated, knowing full well how stupid it sounded, but having trouble accepting reality.

The High Wizard’s cold laugh was enough to make Hyungwon shudder. “I live here, Your Highness, because the only place I can conduct my business without interruptions.” He looked down at the two of them again, with the same pinning glare. “Do you really think your family sits in the lap of luxury because of those meager taxes? Oh please, my trading deals have lined your family’s pockets since before you were born. Gwangju is only rich because I made it rich. You should be thanking me.”

Hyungwon thought he was going to be sick, but Changkyun held onto his forearm, grounding him and reminding him to be strong. He felt the bile travel down his throat as he swallowed and looked up at the man with tears stinging his eyes. He didn’t need to ask what kind of trading deals the man was talking about, especially considering the fact both Sewoon and Changkyun were being held here.

“You! You were supposed to take care of the wizards of Gwangju! That was your job! But this is what you’ve been doing the whole time?!”

Jeongnam waved it off dismissively, addressing Hyungwon as if he were a child. “This is nothing new, Your Highness. My family has had yours in the palm of our hands for generations. All this is what allows our country to thrive.”

The prince drew his sword at the final remark. He held out his sword and pointed it up towards where Jeongnam stood.

“My family is plenty great without your help-” 

The High Wizard froze Hyungwon in the middle of his tirade to focus on Changkyun.

“Do you know what that magic between the two of you was?” the older wizard asked, addressing Changkyun in a tone that sounded overly familiar.

Changkyun chose not to respond to the man and stood cautiously in front of Hyungwon with his hands blazing with magic.

His lack of a reply seemed to amuse Jeongnam as he descended the staircase and slowly approached Changkyun.

“There is a legend out there that says you can share your magic with only one person in the world.”

The apprentice once again said nothing as Jeongnam drew nearer. Fear spread through him as he backed up and pressed himself to Hyungwon’s frozen form.

Jeongnam was only a few feet away from him as he spoke again, the nefarious smile on his face growing wider.

“True love. The prince is your supposed true love.” Jeongnam stated it as if it was the most amusing joke he’d ever heard. “But alas, you know as well as I do, Gwangju will never accept a wizard as their future king’s spouse.”

Changkyun kept his breath from hitching as he felt a pang in his chest. He knew that. Of course, he knew that. There was nothing he could do about the fact that Gwangju would never ready for a prince consort who had magic. But it’s like Hyungwon would ever notice what any of this meant. So Changkyun was sure it wouldn’t ever matter.

“At least not without my help.” Jeongnam, on the other hand, seemed to think it a bargaining tool. “I can make sure you and Prince Hyungwon can have your happy ending, if you’re willing to strike a deal with me.”

“I’d sooner die than work with you,” Changkyun spat, knowing he was doing the right thing, even if it was stupid.

Jeongnam gave an artificial frown as dark magic started to accumulate in his hands. “So be it.”

Changkyun closed his eyes, bracing himself for the spear of darkness that Jeongnam was going to throw. His eyes snapped open as he felt the trajectory move past him, towards the frozen former frog prince. Time moved slowly as Changkyun pushed Hyungwon back, throwing his own body in the line of fire. Relief hit Changkyun the same time the pain did.

Hyungwon unfroze just as Changkyun screamed out in agony and collapsed in front of him. He knelt down next to Changkyun so quickly that he was sure he bruised his knees. The outrage he’d felt before felt like nothing compared to this. The prince couldn’t keep himself from shaking as held the apprentice in his arms. He could hear the rushing of his own blood pounding in ears, mixing with sounds of Changkyun’s increasingly unstable breathing.

It wasn’t until Jeongnam cleared his throat that Hyungwon even remembered he was there.

If not for Changkyun’s body in his arms weighing him down, the prince would have reached for the wizard and ripped him apart.

“WHAT DID YOU DO?!” Hyungwon screeched, a sound so deafening it grew louder as it echoed on the walls.

His hands tremored as they brushed back Changkyun’s now matted hair. Sweat drenched every inch of the apprentice’s forehead and the prince could feel an unnatural heat radiate from the boy’s body.

“You need not worry, Your Highness. You’ll be seeing him soon enough,” Jeongnam mocked them, laughing as he raised his hand once more, collecting darkness in his fingers.

Hyungwon had been ready to jump, to fly at the man and slice him to bits. But the door burst open before either of them could move.

Kihyun stormed in with his eyes glowing white and his pink hair flying. Though Hyungwon couldn’t see his irises he could see the sheer malice they held as Kihyun zeroed in on Jeongnam. A heavy blast of magic released from Kihyun’s hand, leaving gusts of wind rippling in the air as it slammed into Jeongnam’s gut.  

The High Wizard was blown backwards into the mirrored wall as if he were made of paper. Around him, the mirror caved in and shattered, leaving Jeongnam covered and surrounded in shards of sharp glass. He smiled up at Kihyun, eyes glinting like he’d still had the upper hand, but Hyungwon could tell there was an air of fear mixed into them.

“I see the others couldn’t keep you busy,” Jeongnam loosely commented, unable to hide his displeasure in his tone.

Kihyun didn’t bat an eyelash as he sharply lifted his hand, silently causing his magic to weave around the air, collecting all the mirror and glass shards around Jeongnam. He made sure to look the High Wizard directly in the eyes before he balled his hand into a fist, binding him in a prison of sharp glass. If he so much as moved the wrong way, he was doomed.

Magic whirred in the High Wizard’s hands as forced his magic against Kihyun’s.

Kihyun grit his teeth, pushing back against the magic. But Hyungwon knew it wasn’t going to be enough - Jeongnam was High Wizard for a reason.

The prince kept flitting his gaze between Kihyun and Jeongnam, anxiously wondering who would overpower the other when he noticed a pair of cuffs on Kihyun’s waist.

He eyed them again, making sure neither of them was looking at him as he carefully set Changkyun down. In a hasty movement, Hyungwon grabbed the cuffs off Kihyun’s waist and darted towards the High Wizard.

Panic flashed in Jeongnam’s eyes as he noticed Hyungwon in the periphery. His body instinctively moved to thwart Hyungwon with his magic. The momentary distraction was enough for Kihyun’s magic to overpower him. 

Hyungwon felt the air charge with magic as the High Wizard bellowed in pain. Glass pricked at the man’s skin, threateningly hovering around him, daring him to move.

Despite the man’s pitiful state, Hyungwon spared him no mercy and wasted no time in shackling him. A mild wave of satisfaction came over the prince as he heard the cuffs lock into place. Jeongnam was going to pay dearly for all that he’d done, and for now, he could do no more damage. He should have felt more releaved but anxiety and anger still poured through him.

The prince felt nothing as Jeongnam looked up at him pleadingly. He even silently wished Kihyun would tighten the shards, just so he could watch him bleed. Rage began to filter through him once more as Jeongnam started begging for his freedom, but Hyungwon didn’t let it get the better of him.

Hyungwon steadied himself and ignored the man as he turned away. He turned his back to the soon-to-be former High Wizard of Gwangju and made his way back to Changkyun.

Changkyun’s chest still rose and fell, but even from a distance, Hyungwon could tell it wasn’t normal. The apprentice’s body shook with every ragged breath. And as the prince got closer he could see that the boy’s clothes were completely drenched in sweat. He dropped to his knees again and lifted the boy’s head into his arms, cradling him.

“Move,” Kihyun commanded as he pushed him off Changkyun and began to work.

The Chief Herbologist pulled apart the fabric that had been obstructing the wound. His big pink head blocked Hyungwon’s view but the gasp that had come from the man was definitely not good. Hyungwon caught sight of a dark red cluster which colored Changkyun’s veins a startling red as it spread over one fourth of the boy’s torso.

Kihyun waved a hand over the blight over and over with no results. He lifted his head to glare daggers at Jeongnam, and Hyungwon was certain the pink haired wizard was about to end the man.

“He’s lucky the Imperial High Council wants to put him on trial. Otherwise, I would have killed him,” he muttered, and Hyungwon swore that venom dripped from the man’s spit.

The doors of the ballroom swung open again, revealing a square jawed man with thick brows and light stubble. There was no mistaking imperial purple of the robes. Hyungwon’s eyes widened as he recognized the man to be Lord Dongho, one of Emperor Hwang’s most trusted generals.

Another man strolled in behind him, dressed in a flimsy looking netted shirt and tight pants. Hyungwon would have thought it strange had it not been for thorns on the man’s bracelet and circlet. The tall stature and sharp, unearthly features made it clear that this was one of the six princes of Dowonkyung. If one of them were here, Hyungwon knew Jeongnam was going to spend the rest of his life suffering, which made the prince feel more than slightly satisfied.

“We have to get him out of here. I need to get to my supplies,” Kihyun said to him, there was a desperation in his voice that made Hyungwon realize how much Kihyun cared for his apprentice.

Hyungwon nodded lifted the boy up into his arms, following Kihyun back to the carriage while Lord Donho and Prince Hyuk dealt with Jeongnam.

“How did they get here so fast?” the prince asked, making sure to keep his pace brisk but even so Changkyun’s head wouldn’t loll.

Kihyun remained straight faced, but his voice held a glimmer of humor as he answered, “You can thank Jooheon for that.”

Hyungwon made a mental note to remember to thank the ambassador as he and Kihyun finally reached the outside.

On the horizon, the prince saw nothing but the carnage of battle and the carriage where Shownu and Wonho were waiting.

He wanted to believe the worst was over but as Changkyun whimpered in his arms, the prince’s heart throbbed. All he could do was hold the boy tighter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When will I ever stop with these terrible cliffhangers? XD
> 
> I'm sorry for teasing you guys two months in a row I promise I'll update ASAP (who knows when that is) A lot happened since I last updated. This update was actually supposed to be up two weeks ago, but two weeks ago Hurricane Harvey hit. I wasn't sure if I'd be able to update in that time so I just put it off for a while. My family and I, as well as my close friends, are all safe. 
> 
> Before I end this little note, I want to thank anyone who's still around for sticking with my sporadic update schedule. I know I take 5 years between every update and it can't be easy having to come back whenever I do. Sincerely, thank you very much. This story isn't over just yet, but I wanted to ask you guys one little question.
> 
>  
> 
> **I have a sort of M rated epilogue scene which I may or may not write. I will add it to the story as a related work if I do write it. Would any of you be interested in reading that?**


	10. Act 4. Finale. Every Time We Touch

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I sincerely apologize for the lateness. Mostly edited- still needs a bit a work. ((lol read this to Cascada's Every Time We Touch))  
> 

Hopeless. 

It was the one word that described how Hyungwon felt as he sat by an open window of Prince Minhyuk’s countryside estate.

Kihyun assessed Changkyun as well as he could in the carriage but he’d deemed he needed somewhere else to treat the boy, which meant they had to stop at the nearest place in Raemi where Kihyun would have access to the proper tools to work. The wizard had sounded so confident that everyone assumed Changkyun would be on the road to recovery hours after they’d reached the place.  

It had been well over a day since they arrived and Kihyun hadn’t left the room he’d boarded himself and Changkyun in.

There was no hiding the restlessness they all felt. They’d all waited for hours, hovering in the sitting area outside as time ticked by. When the hours began to drag on, most found themselves unable to keep still or keep silent. Wonho kept checking the perimeters for intruders. Shownu had gone to catch dinner. Minhyuk wouldn’t stop gushing about Jooheon. And the red-haired ambassador, who’d arrived earlier in the morning, would only bashfully wave off the blond prince.  

Had he not been as strung up as he was, Prince Hyungwon would have boasted about Jooheon’s efforts as well. Getting the audience with the High Council and explaining to them the situation in about Eodum was the only reason why Prince Hyuk and Lord Dongho had been able to reach them when they did.  

Hyungwon was thankful and grateful for everything Jooheon did, but he couldn’t find it in him to act like was okay. Everyone else was nervous too, Hyungwon knew it,  but his anxiety, unlike theirs,was debilitating.

While the others bustled about, Hyungwon was unable to leave the area directly in front of Kihyun and Changkhyun’s door. It was more like he couldn’t leave, knowing it could open at any moment. He did occasionally get up when he got too restless, but he hadn’t even stepped into the bedroom Minhyuk had allotted him.

Hyungwon was aware he had to be patient with the process. He knew that Kihyun needed time. But each second of not knowing what was going on made him feel like there was a rock pressing against his chest, keeping his lungs from inflating properly.

He was so worked up that his body reacted to the slightest movements around him. When the door to the sitting area opened, he shot up from his seat. 

“It’s just me,” Shownu announced, walking into the room with a plate of steaming food in his hands.

Hyungwon’s stomach rumbled as the smell hit his nose. Just the sight of steaming grilled meat resting on puffy grains of rice had him drooling. 

Shownu followed his gaze and found that he was hungrily eyeing the plate in his hands. He looked back up at the prince and said, “You should go down and eat something.”

The prince frowned as he tilted his head. “That’s not mine?”

“I’m your guard, not your page boy, Your Highness,” Shownu jested as he gave the prince a smile, hoping the prince would snap back at him. 

No amusement or anger passed over Hyungwon. His body remained taut with anguish, making Shownu sigh. 

The guard gave the plate a pensive look before he answered his prince properly, “This is for Kihyun. I don’t think he had breakfast. Or dinner for that matter.”

Hyungwon swallowed and sat back down. The herbologist needed to eat more than he did. “Right,” he replied, taking a deep trembling breath. “I’ll just wait here.”

Shownu looked back at him and sighed before moving towards the door, knocking twice, and entering.

The prince barely caught a glimpse of the goings on in the room. From where he sat, he made out a seemingly crazed, desperate Kihyun greeting Shownu. Behind the small man was Changkyun with his eyes still closed, looking as pale as the sheets he was lying in. Hyungwon moved to get a better look but the door shut before he could, and the prince was back to waiting.

His mind was slowly going numb as he attempted to bore holes into the wood panels of the door with his eyes. With each blink and each second that passed, Hyungwon’s eyelids grew heavier. The sounds of the steady stream flowing outside the window lulled the man to sleep.

* * *

When Hyungwon woke, the sun was no longer in the sky and a blanket had carefully been draped over him. Water and food had been placed on the table in front of him. There no sound in the halls other than the flickering of the candles which lit them. It was safe for him to assume that the hour was late and everyone else was asleep.

He’d been disoriented until the moment his stomach begged him to eat the cold sandwich in front of him. The prince’s eyes drooped while he chewed. Waiting was tiring but he knew he wouldn’t be able to focus on anything else, if he even dared try. The prince gave a resigned sighed and stared at the door, taking another bite of the dry bread.

The last thing he expected at this hour was for Kihyun to step out of the door. 

Kihyun looked like death and that was putting it nicely. The man’s hair stuck out, frizzing up towards the ends. Their usually vibrant bright pink color was muted and chalky. His eyebags were so deep that Hyungwon though he could fit his national treasury in them and have room left over. With his bloodshot eyes, he looked positively insane.

“Damn, Pinky. Should I close the window? You look like a small breeze could knock you over,” Hyungwon greeted the haggard wizard with his usual contempt.

“Shut up before I knock  _ you _ over,” Kihyun weakly spat back.

Hyungwon snorted. “I’m sitting down. I don’t think that’s possible.”

“Will you stop being insufferable for one second? I have something to say to you and it’s not good news.”

Hyungwon’s smile faded as he saw the solemness on Kihyun’s face as he took a seat next to him.

The older man did not look the prince in the eyes as he spoke. “I’ve tried everything I could but Changkyun’s body isn’t processing the cure. It’s spread too much and there is no way for me to make it stop with my magic. At this point, he’s probably going to die.”

Hyungwon heard the words but his mind was unable to process it.  _ Changkyun? Going to die? _ The words spun in his head over and over, making his blood run cold and his muscles freeze. His mouth flapped open and closed as he tried to formulate any kind of response. He felt like his soul had left his body.

The pink haired wizard looked up at him with tears in his eyes.

“The reason I wanted to tell you first is because I think there might be a way for me to cure him but I can’t do it without you.”

Hyungwon could see the wizard’s frustration in the way he sounded almost regretful as he was telling him this. But it was absurd.  _ How could he help a wizard who was known to be able to cure anything? _

“Me? What’s any of this got to do with me?”

“I overheard that Changkyun’s magic got sent to you when you touched his hand,” Kihyun said as if this was supposed to clarify his reasoning.

But Hyungwon couldn’t recall telling Kihyun any of this and he was sure that Changkyun had never told him this either.

“How did you know that?”

“Shownu briefed me on Jeongnam’s interrogation report earlier,” Kihyun began, frowning further as he went on. “In it, the bastard mentioned that he hadn’t be able to control you, like he had your parents, because some magic was blocking his from getting to you.”

Hyungwon had always thought the people in his court were unnaturally enchanted by the weird man. Knowing they were literally enchanted explained why people cared so much about someone who didn’t seem all that great.

“The important thing is that if Changkyun’s magic can be transferred to you, I can save him.” Kihyun rambled on, rapidly tapping his foot on the leg of the table. “You’ve probably never heard of it, but among wizards, it’s a common legend that the one person you share your magic with is your true love.”

The prince stayed silent, pondering the implications of what the pink haired wizard had said.  _ He was Changkyun’s true love. Did that mean that it was Changkyun’s kiss that turned him back to a human? _

Kihyun’s shoulders hunched as he spoke, “I can’t be completely certain that what you two have is true love but if it is there’s a chance I can heal Changkyun.”

Hyungwon skeptically furrowed his brow. “How?”

“You have to carry his blight.” A kaleidoscope of emotions passed over Kihyun’s face, showing everything from his fear to his doubt to his silent pleas for help.

But Kihyun didn’t have to ask or beg. Hyungwon wanted nothing more than for the boy to be healthy again, if that meant giving himself up, the prince would gladly comply. “I’ll do it.”

The Chief Herbologist seemed shaken by his immediate response, as if he was expecting to meet resistance.

“You should know what you’re getting into, Your Highness. This is-”

Hyungwon cut him off. “I don’t care what happens to me! I just need Changkyun to be okay.”

Kihyun couldn’t understand why the prince sounded so desperate but he had to explain to him how grave the repercussions would be.

“If it goes wrong-if you’re not his true love, you could die.”

“Without him, I’d already be dead.”

There was an absolution behind the words that Kihyun wasn’t able to argue with. The wizard was only able to crack a half a smile at the prince and guide the way inside the room.

Hyungwon did his best to not gasp at the sight of bedridden Changkyun in front of him. Up close, the boy’s pallor was far worse. There wasn’t a hint of color on Changkyun’s face aside from the redness of the spidery veins which the scourge had spilled onto his jawline. If shallow breaths he took making his chest rattle as it rose and fell, Changkyun could have been mistaken for a corpse. His eyes and cheeks were unnaturally dark and sunken. 

Hyungwon kept his eyes glued to Changkyun, despite how much he hated seeing the young wizard look as he did. “This will heal him, right? No matter what happens to me.”

Kihyun saw Hyungwon’s unwavering resolution in the way he looked at Changkyun. He nodded as he answered the prince.

“This will guarantee he’s healed.”

The prince said nothing as he sat down on the empty space besides Changkyun and took his hand. Heat and sparks jolted up the prince’s arm once again, filling him with a magic. He was unable to tear his gaze from the boy as he lay right beside him. In different circumstances, being next to Changkyun like this would have made Hyungwon happy.

“Do you want me to wait until the others are awake?” Kihyun asked with a gentleness that Hyungwon didn’t know the man was capable of.

The prince shook his head, still refusing to look away from Changkyun. “Jooheon and Shownu-hyung will try to talk me out of it,” he chuckled as he thought of what they might do or say. Hyungwon knew they would plead with him to think of his parents and of Gwangju’s future. But none of that mattered to him with Changkyun’s life on the line. “Better work now before they wake up.”

“Are you-”

“I’m sure,” Hyungwon cut the herbologist off, pinning the wizard to his spot as he glared up at him.

Kihyun was taken aback seeing the sheer determination in Hyungwon’s gaze. From all the rumors he’d heard of the prince, he wasn’t sure that Hyungwon was even capable of being this stubborn. Part of Kihyun wondered just how much the Prince of Gwangju loved his apprentice, because there was no denying it - Prince Hyungwon was most definitely in love with Changkyun.

“Close your eyes and don’t let go of his hand,” the heroblogist instructed, taking a deep breath as he collected magic in his glowing pink palms. 

Hyungwon heard a twinge of pity in Kihyun’s voice as he warned, “This is going to hurt.”

When the wizard’s magic started to pull at him, Hyungwon braced himself to  to handle what afflicted Changkyun. The prince had assumed it would be mild discomfort from the way he’d seen Changkyun handle it but he was wrong. What he felt was searing, unbearable pain that left him in so much agony that he could hardly register himself screaming.

To say the blight burned as it spread over him would be an understatement. Every nerve in his arm cried out for him to release Changkyun’s hand as the blight traveled from the boy to the prince. It left the same webbed veins in its wake as it spread from his arm to his torso and neck. Hyungwon could feel his lungs start to fill will with liquid, making him cough violently until fluid spewed from his mouth.

Through what remained of his senses, the prince could taste blood on his tongue. He could hear his other friends slam the door open. He could feel Changkyun’s abnormally warm skin against his. 

As his mind slipped into darkness, Hyungwon never once let go of Changkyun’s hand.

* * *

Kihyun finished administering the cure to both Changkyun and Hyungwon before faced the others. Everyone else had filed into the room and stood surprisingly silently at the back while he worked.  He braced himself as he gauged their reactions. Each of them cared for Changkyun very much, but the wizard knew that Wonho, Jooheon, and especially Minhyuk wouldn’t be pleased that Prince Hyungwon had to use his own life and limb to save the boy. He understood their shock and confusion they expressed as they took in the sight of the prince and the apprentice.

Out of everyone, Shownu had the most right to be angry with him. It was his job to protect the prince, after all. And Kihyun had gotten in his way, allowing Prince Hyungwon to take the same affliction which wrought itself through Changkyun. But instead of hatred and anger, Shownu’s eyes were filled with sadness and worry. Which oddly enough was directed at him and not the sleeping prince.

Shownu pulled him to the far corner of the room as the other focused their attention on the now ailing prince. 

Frustration marred the guard’s features as he scolded him in a low, soft voice, “This was foolish of you.If something happens to the prince, they could hang you for this.”

The wizard was surprised to say the least. Here he thought Shownu would personally want to hang him for putting the prince in this situation, but he hadn’t expected the man to worry about what happened to him. 

“If there was any other way, I would have tried but I-” the wizard tried to explain himself but Shownu held up a hand, silencing him.

Shownu’s voice was tender and a little sad as he asked, “Kihyun, was there fear or regret in his eyes?”

The pink haired man blinked, wondering why this would have mattered to Shownu. He shook his head slowly, cautiously looking up at the taller man.

A wistful smile lit Shownu’s face. “Then, there would be no stopping him,” the guard stated, matter-of-factly. “If you’d kept him in the dark and he’d learned out it later, there would only be hell to pay.”

The wizard could tell that Shownu was trying his best to make the conversation feel lighter than it was. Kihyun wished he knew if this was Shownu’s coping mechanism or if this was his way of trying to make him feel better. 

“Is he really that stubborn?” the wizard asked, going along with Shownu’s attempts to lift the atmosphere. 

Crinkles formed around Shownu’s face as he grinned. “You have no idea.” His smile dimmed as hte turned to look at Hyungwon. “All we can do now is hope your plan works out.”

Guilt to rise inside of Kihyun again as he saw the faraway look in Shownu’s eyes. The wizard had never cared what most people thought of him in the past, but Shownu wasn’t most people.

“You’re not mad at me, are you?” Kihyun asked, keeping his voice level, even though he felt like his insides would explode. 

The older man blinked and gave Kihyun a confused half-smile. “Have you seen the way Hyungwon looks at Changkyun?” Shownu made it sound as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. “If something happened to the boy, there’s no telling what he would do.” Kihyun could see the hidden sincerity in his teasing and for that he was grateful. 

Shownu looked back at the wizard and took his hand. “I think what you did was for the best, Kihyun,” he reassured, giving his hand a squeeze.

Color filled Kihyun’s ears as he avoided Shownu’s eyes, focusing intently on his apprentice instead. As he saw the boy’s breathing grow even, he whispered, “I hope so.”

* * *

Light glared through the curtains onto Changkyun’s face. His head throbbed, making him whine in discomfort as he squinted awake. With each blink, he grew aware of his surroundings. This was not his room at Starship Palace. Immediately, he moved to get up and realized that something was keeping him tethered. A hand, specifically Hyungwon’s hand, was holding his. Looking over, the apprentice saw Hyungwon lying at his side sleeping peacefully.

He had to be dreaming. Or dead.

Him being here with Hyungwon at his side, clasping one of his hands in a vice grip felt too good to be true, yet the tightness of the prince’s grip was a sensation too tangible to be a mere dream. Butterflies formed in Changkyun’s stomach as he got flashbacks to the first time he’d seen Hyungwon’s human face. He was still unbelievably beautiful. It wasn’t until his eyes came across the streak of pale red veins creeping up on the prince’s face that flashes of played out in Changkyun’s mind.

Panic rose in his throat as he lifted his free hand to touch the marring on the prince’s face. He tried to detach himself from the prince’s other hand, but Hyungwon, despite being unconscious, refused to let go.

Changkyun tried using his other hand to pry the prince of but he was only greeted by a chastising click of the tongue.

“Just let it be and sleep,” Hyungwon mumbled as he rolled on his side to face Changkyun.

“Can you let me go?” the younger boy murmured, as he weakly attempted to pry himself from Hyungwon’s grasp.

The movement made the prince open his eyes and look at Changkyun, his eyes say more than his words could convey, “No. I don’t think I can.”

“Why not? You were so keen on letting me go back not too long ago,” the boy snapped as he started to tug at his hand once more. But Hyungwon only held on tighter.

“You have no idea how much I regretted it, Changkyun.” Hyungwon’s tone was almost pleading as he held on to Changkyun’s hands.  

There was a pause that hung in the air before the younger callously remarked, “You’re right. I don’t.”

“I’m sorry,” Hyungwon whispered, releasing Changkyun’s hand as he pulled himself up to where his weight rested on his arms. He looked down directly into Changkyun’s stunned eyes. “I wish I could take back every word, every little thing I did, that hurt you.”

Changkyun’s shock wavered to a hard stare, for a second he seemed to waver, before he quickly rose to a less vulnerable position.

The apprentice crossed his arms, refusing to look at Hyungwon as he coldly questioned, “And why should I forgive you?”

An answer played on the prince’s lips, as he could see the apprentice’s eyes move to look over at him the longer he took to reply. “Because I love you, Changkyun.”

The apprentice curled into himself as he wretched. His face was cutely scrunched up as he finally faced Hyungwon. “Just for that sentence, I’m not forgiving you.”

Hyungwon’s eyes gleamed with delight as he heard playfulness behind Changkyun’s attempts to turn him down. He swooped in quickly and pecked Changkyun’s cheek to where the apprentice shot back in surprise.

“How about now?” The prince gave Changkyun a smug smile.

Redness started to fill Changkyun’s ears and cheeks as he looked up at Hyungwon and pouted some more. “Okay… maybe I’ll forgive you just a little.”

“Only a little? Really?” Hyungwon asked indignantly as he pointing to the red lines webbed across his face.

Changkyun swallowed as he trailed the veins with his eyes. “I’ve been meaning to ask how you got that.”

“It’s because you’re my true love.” The prince tried to convey his candor but his answer came out slightly too playful. 

The apprentice cringed and shivered, barely able to restrain himself from hitting Hyungwon but wholly judging him.

“No, seriously, it’s because you’re my true love,” Hyungwon shifted his tone to one that was more austere. “That’s the only reason Kihyun was able to transfer it to me.”

Changkyun raised a concerned brow. His master may not have liked Hyungwon but he would not go out of his way to cause harm to the prince. “Why would he do that?”

Hyungwon let out a sigh, bracing himself as he answered the boy, “The antidote was in too low a dosage to work on you at the rate it was spreading. Kihyun said if I took some of the affliction onto me, he could save you.”

Changkyun grew pale with worry. He swallowed as he lifted a hand to Hyungwon’s face and whispered with his low, soft voice, “Why would  _ you  _ do that?”

The prince smiled to where the tips his cheek bones reached the bottoms of his eyes. “Like I said before, because I love you, Changkyun.”

The words made Changkyun’s ears grow hot. 

“It only worked because you’re my true love,” he went on, leaning close to Changkyun so he could see every little detail of the boy’s face.

Changkyun didn’t look surprised. From the way he steeled himself, it was as if he was expecting Hyungwon to bring it up. He swallowed, almost unnoticeably as he spoke, “I take it Kihyun-hyung told you?”

Hyungwon nodded as he watched Changkyun contemplatively bite his lower lip.

“Amongst wizards, there’s this legend,” the apprentice began, absently staring down at Hyungwon’s hand. “A legend which says you can transfer your magic to your true love through expressions of love. It’s supposed to be a special bond that can overcome any sort of magical feat.”

The prince’s eyebrows rose as he grew in intrigued with Changkyun’s explanation. Kihyun hadn’t really told him what it all meant, but what Changkyun said had sparked his interest.

“Expression of love?” Hyungwon asked, curious as to exactly that encompassed. 

Changkyun answered without realizing what Hyungwon was getting at. “Like a physical expression of love, for example holding hands or kissing,”

Hyungwon hummed as he thought, knowing exactly how to use this to tease the apprentice. “So, this means that it was your kiss that turned me back into a human…”

Changkyun’s whole face grew red as his eyed widened with realization.

“P-probably?” he squeaked as he curled into himself, causing the prince to laugh.

Hyungwon nearly rolled himself out of bed in his hysteria over how cute Changkyun was. The apprentice had almost let him fall off the bed, but he decided to grab at the prince’s shoulders pulling him up. When Hyungwon returned to where he sat, his face was much closer than it had been before.

It took effort for Changkyun not to gulp at how Hyungwon was just less than ten centimeters from his face. The collar of his shirt had ripped when Changkyun caught him, revealing the prince’s well-defined collarbones. Had it not been for the prince’s eyes which locked with his, Changkyun would stared at the exposed bit of skin a little longer.

Changkyun’s gaze had been locked onto Hyungwon’s so intently he didn’t notice the prince’s lips draw nearer and nearer. It wasn’t until the prince spoke and Changkyun could feel his breath against his lips that there was hardly any space between them. 

“Do you think if we kissed now that your magic would still transfer?” The tease in Hyungwon’s tone was layered under a want which Changkyun could physically feel.

The apprentice didn’t bother replying with words. Instead, he gently pressed his lips to Hyungwon’s.

A thousand tiny sparks burst across Changkyun’s mouth as he felt Hyungwon’s puffy lips mold to his own. Hyungwon left him no time to revel in the sensation as he began to hungrily pull at Changkyun. They continued to move their lips against each other, seeing how far they could go until Changkyun slid his tongue across Hyungwon’s lower lip, making the prince elicit a moan.

At that moment the door swung open causing the small crowd of the other residents to tip forward into the room.

Prince Minhyuk stood at the head, standing with purpose as he looked at them accusingly. “Please don’t do what I think you’re about to do on one of my beds. My family has to sleep here.”

The two of them, both equally flushed, backed up from one another. They eyed their friends who all wore some form of guilt on their face. It was then that the pair realized that the others had been leaning on the door, listening to them. At the absurdity of it all, Hyungwon can Changkyun simply looked at one another and laughed.

* * *

**Nearly Two Months Later:**

Prince Hyungwon despised weddings. They were always overcrowded and full of people who wanted to brag about how much they’d spent on what they were wearing. Hyungwon, however, didn’t give a damn about how much his outfit cost. In fact, he would gladly throw it away in the nearest trash can and run around in his undergarments. This accursed, bejeweled jacket mixed with the hoard of overzealous, excited attendees was making the whole venue hotter than it had to be. Hyungwon was sure if he wore his layered ensemble much longer he’d have a heat stroke.

This was all Prince Minhyuk’s fault. Couldn’t he have found another time to finally decide to marry his statuesque bodyguard?

Not only was this weekend supposed to be the hottest in fall, Changkyun had only just passed his Herbologist’s exam.

The prince had originally traveled to Raemi to surprise Changkyun, but on the first night of his visit Prince Minhyuk had announced he was getting married. Amidst the excitement, it seemed like everyone forgot that there was a new full-fledged herbologist in the court.

Hyungwon had been sitting with his arms crossed, doing his best to make sure everyone knew he wasn’t happy, when Changkyun poked his side. The tall prince looked down at the boy sitting beside him.

Changkyun raised a brow at him and he gestured to his posture. “Why are you sulking? Is it because all the good appetizers are gone?”

“No…” Hyungwon tried to protest, but his stomach betrayed him as it grumbled at the thought of the spread, “Okay, partly because of the appetizers, but I’m hot and itchy and annoyed! There are too many people here!”

“The guests aren’t  _ that  _ bad,” Changkyun tried to defend them, but Hyungwon could tell he didn’t appreciate how some random party guests were encroaching on their reserved table.

“Who are you kidding? They are totally that bad. It almost makes me wish I hadn’t been nice and canceled your party because you had to help Prince Minhyuk with his his wedding,” Hyungwon grumbled, failing to hide exactly how displeased he was. Changkyun had been running around helping both grooms plan since he was close to both of them. It didn’t seem fair to Hyungwon that Changkyun had to put aside his own festivities to coordinate Minhyuk’s.

“It’s okay, we can just celebrate later,” Changkyun said as he reached over and patted Hyungwon’s hand lightly.

Despite Changkyun’s attempts to quell the prince’s spite, Hyungwon sneered at the head table where Minhyuk and Wonho were sitting happily and comfortably as they stared at each other lovingly. How could they possibly not be bothered by all the heat and the people? It was probably the thin material of their attire, especially Wonho’s. Hyungwon had no idea how Minhyuk was able to get approval for Wonho to wear a coat with sheer sleeves and it made Hyungwon want to flip a table. He’d seen quite a few people, Changkyun especially, ogle the clearly visible muscles beneath the fabric.

Why the fuck does he get to have netted sleeves?

Changkyun slapped his arm, pulling Hyungwon’s attention back to him. The younger’s eyes were wide with something akin to horror as he pointed a shaky finger across the room. “Oh god, is that my mom and dad talking to your parents?”

The prince squinted until he found his mother and father standing next to Changkyun’s parents, exchanging words as if they were old friends. “Shit, they’re laughing about something… this can’t be good. They probably said something embarrassing about one of us.”

Changkyun pouted as he added, “Or both of us.”

“Or they aren’t talking about either of you and are just enjoying the party,” Jooheon chimed, walking up with a smile as he set down a plate filled with the good appetizers.

Hyungwon looked up at Jooheon accusingly. “How did you get those?”

“Shownu-hyung is hoarding them over at his and Kihyun-hyung’s table,” the red-haired man said, happily munching on another tiny delicacy.

Hyungwon was mildly impressed at that Jooheon had overcome his fears of Kihyun. It had all to do with the fact the scary wizard was now courting Shownu, who was as good as family to Jooheon. The same should apply to him since Shownu was like an older brother, but Kihyun had once told Hyungwon that he would fry him if he took one step out of line.

“And they didn’t save us any?” Hyungwon griped as he eyed Jooheon’s plate.

Jooheon had been about to take another bite of food when he saw their stares. With a sigh and a frown, he reluctantly held up his plate to the two of them.

“You’re godsent!” Hyungwon happily exclaimed before lunging for the shrimp flavored snacks.

“Glad you think I’m useful for something, Your Highness,” Jooheon remarked, pulling back his plate which was now significantly empty. “How did you even miss out on them? I thought you would be the first one in line.”

Changkyun cleared his throat as he guiltily set down the tart he was eating.  “I’m afraid that’s my fault, Jooheon-hyung. I was busy finishing up last minute things for the ceremony.”

The ambassador’s forehead filled with wrinkles as he frowned. “I thought there was staff in charge of the planning.”

“There is staff in charge of the planning, but every five seconds they ask a question for one of the grooms and Changkyun was running around like some page boy trying to deliver their messages,” Hyungwon remarked, eyeing Changkyun with contempt.

“It’s because I’m close to both of them,” Changkyun loosely tried to justify his reasoning.

“Kihyun-hyung is close to them too, but you don’t see him running around like some errand boy,” the prince shot back, effectively silencing Changkyun.

From the way the boy tilted his head down, it was clear that Changkyun was aware of the fact he’d just pointed out.

After more than a few seconds of silence which settled around them, Hyungwon knew that the wizard probably upset with him. Hyungwon wanted to apologize and rectify the situation, but he wasn’t sure how. With each second that passed, more guilt started to creep into his mind.

Jooheon who had quietly and nervously been watching the exchange decided to speak up. “Say, Your Highness, you look like you’re about to drown in your own sweat. Why don’t you and Changkyunnie go outside for a bit?”

The prince turned to his ambassador, raising a brow as if to ask how he could possibly leave when his absence would likely be questioned.

Jooheon seemed to understand. He gestured to the door at the side of the hall. “I’ll cover for you. So, why don’t the two of you go outside and cool off?”

Hyungwon was not going to let a chance like this pass. He readily hopped out of his seat, turning to Changkyun with a hand outstretched. “Shall we?”

Changkyun nodded, but didn’t take his hand as he stood.

The prince looked down at his rejected hand with pursed lips. He played it off by nodding as he brushed it against his coat.

Jooheon eyed him with pity, but Hyungwon knew he was trying not to laugh.

The prince hoped no one else was watching them. He didn’t want to have to explain a spat with Changkyun on top of why he’d stepped out.

Once they stepped out of the grand hall into the quiet recesses of the palace, the atmosphere around them simmered down. Hyungwon let out of a sigh of relief as he tugged off his neckerchief and coat. Jooheon hadn’t been lying when he said he looked like he was drowning. His shirt was soaked to the point it clung to his skin.

Changkyun would sneak glances his way but he didn’t say a word or slow down. 

The prince sighed, stepping in front of Changkyun to where the boy had to face him. He placed a hand on Changkyun’s shoulder as he apologized, “I’m sorry if I went out of line earlier. I’m not annoyed with you because we missed out on some stupid appetizers. I just don’t like seeing you overwork yourself when there’s no reason for it.”

Changkyun lifted a hand and placed it over the one that was resting on his shoulder. He grasped it tightly as he looked Hyungwon in the eyes. “I’m sorry too… These last few weeks have been a little crazy…”

“A little?” the prince scoffed as he remembered being dragged into the whirlwind that was the wedding preparations.

“Okay, I admit, things have gotten out of hand. I just wanted to help and somehow I got roped into doing more,” the wizard conceded with a sigh. “I am really sorry you had to cancel my party, though.” Changkyun bowed his head, squeezing Hyungwon’s hand tighter. “I knew you’d been planning that for a while.”

Hyungwon moved his hand off Changkyun’s shoulder, making sure to still hold the boy’s hand. His eyes twinkled as he spoke. “I’ll forgive you if you promise me something.”

Changkyun shot him a weary look but said nothing.

With the wizard’s silence being the cue to continue, Hyungwon laid out his request. “Promise me once this wedding is over, we’re going to celebrate properly-”

“Of course,” Changkyun cut the prince off, confused that he would bring this up when they’d already made plants to celebrate later.

The glint in Hyungwon’s eyes grew brighter as he grinned, raising his cheeks to an almost comical height. “With just the two of us.”

Changkyun tried to not flush as he replied with an eloquent, “Oh…”

“You don’t want to?” the prince teased as he drew closer to Changkyun, who took a step back.

The former apprentice swallowed, curling his hands into nervous fists as he looked Hyungwon in the eyes. “No, I do want to. I was just surprised.”

“So, it’s a deal?” There was no hiding the excitement in the prince’s tone, but Changkyun didn’t mind it one bit.

“Knowing you, you’d take me whether I wanted to go or not.” Changkyun shot back, watching Hyungwon’s face contort as he tried to think of how to defend himself. Before the prince had a chance to say anything, the wizard accepted, “Yeah. It’s a deal.”

Hyungwon smirked, taking his time as he leaned away from Changkyun, giving the boy space to catch his breath. He quietly reached out a hand for the boy to hold and they began to aimlessly wander the halls until they heard the chime of a clock announcing the hour.

“We missed dinner,” Changkyun mused, not seeming to care.

Hyungwon scoffed, “There goes my will to return.”

Neither of them felt the need to head back to the party. They both trusted Jooheon well enough to handle whoever might question their whereabouts. So, they strolled until came across a familiar courtyard. With nowhere to return to and no one looking for them, Changkyun and Hyungwon took a seat at the edge of the fountain.

The fine mist caused by the waters had a whimsical effect in the lamp light. Mixed with the calming sounds of splashing and the cool breeze, it seemed they’d escaped to the perfect place.

They’d been quietly gazing at the starts when Changkyun turned to him and asked, “Did you plan this?”

Hyungwon laughed at the skepticism on Changkyun’s face. “You know I don’t plan anything.”

“True,” the wizard hummed thoughtfully as he eased back, leaning on his arms.  

He had been paying attention to the glittering stars above when he felt Hyungwon’s hand on his.

The wizard looked over at the prince and saw that he was gazing at him fondly. Changkyun’s heart started beating fast as he saw Hyungwon looked at him. Whenever Hyungwon smiled like that and held his gaze, there was an unspoken layer of sincerity in his actions.

“Changkyun-ah, we should get married.”

Changkyun’s mind stopped working, his heart skipped a beat, and all the air left his lungs. His ears grew furiously hot as he argued, “H-how can you say that so casually?”

Hyungwon gives him the side eye but his smile never leaves his lips. “Relax, I’m not proposing to you. I might not be much of planner but I wouldn’t propose like this.”

The wizard took his words with a grain of salt, despite this.

“I was just thinking, it would be nice,” the prince sighed, looking upward at the sky dreamily. “We could wear the finest the seven kingdoms have to offer, stockpile on good food, have people give us about a million gifts, and the best part is we could totally get back at Wonho and Minhyuk for making you unofficial messenger boy. What do you think?”

Changkyun thought it was the most childish thing he’d ever heard.

Somehow, he wanted it anyway.

The sheer joy on Hyungwon’s face as he turned to face him, to gauge his reaction, made Changkyun wish his mind didn’t automatically think in the most rational manner.

Despite all the silly, happy things which Hyungwon associated with the two of them eventually getting married, there were still legitimate obstacles in the way. And Changkyun wasn’t sure how to remove them.

“To be honest, I have thought about what it would be like to marry you,” Changkyun admitted. His shoulders slumped forward as he nervously tapped the fingers of his free hand against the stone of the fountain.

“Why do you sound so sad?” The prince shifted, placing a concerned arm around Changkyun.

Both of them were sitting up now, facing each other as they wore near identical frowns.

The wizard took a deep breath before he started to explain his worries. “Your parents might like me, but what about the rest of Gwangju?” Maybe it was just his doubt and paranoia making him like this, but Hyungwon understood where Changkyun’s thoughts were rooted.  “I’m not sure they’re ready for a wizard to enter the royal family.”

Lucky for Changkyun, Hyungwon had already been steadily building a bridge fix the gap that divided his country. “We’ve already started working on restructuring society to make Gwangju a safer place for wizards.”

Hyungwon smirked as Changkyun’s eyes went wide with confusion and curiosity. “I sent a letter to my parents immediately after they had been completely briefed about their corrupt high wizard. They approved of my plan to educate the people about wizards. So far, we’ve gotten positive responses everywhere we’ve campaigned since apparently wizards do a lot more good than harm.”

“Apparently, huh?” Changkyun mocked. “Who would have guessed?”

“Yeah, there are a few crazy ones out there that turn princes in frogs,” Hyungwon shot back, gazing fondly at Changkyun as he laughed.

“You know, sometimes those princes deserve it,” Changkyun goaded as he smiled innocently up at Hyungwon.

The prince was appalled. His hanging jaw settled into a frown as he whined to the herbologist. “I thought you were on my side!”

Changkyun didn’t bat an eye. “Don’t try to tell me you weren’t being an ass to Kihyun-hyung when turned you into a frog,” he said, recently having learned why Kihyun had turned Hyungwon into a frog. “Besides, we wouldn’t be sitting here right now if you hadn’t become one.”

“…I hate it when you prove me wrong.” The prince settled into a brooding stance with his arms crossed over his chest.

The wizard bumped his shoulder, making Hyungwon’s arms uncross as he leaned into the prince’s side. “You love me regardless,” he stated, coming off more serious than taunting.

Something changed in the atmosphere as the prince took his hand and intertwined their fingers. He smiled at the tingle of magic running up his arm before he locked eyes with Changkyun, seeing his own reflection in them. “I do and always will love you no matter what. So until you feel ready, I won’t even breathe about marriage.”

Hyungwon’s heart felt lighter as he spoke with every ounce of sincerity he could muster.

Changkyun seemed to feel it too as he speechlessly gazed up at him. Hyungwon wasn’t sure how many seconds had passed in silence until the boy finally let out a shaky breath.

“I don’t know if I should cringe or cry,” he said, the shock apparent in his voice.

The prince softly rubbed his thumb along the back of Changkyun’s hand. Despite the tenderness of the gesture, his voice was playfully provoking as he asked, “Why did this hit you harder than me asking to marry you?”

“It felt more real,” the boy answered earnestly, still shaken.                

_ I’ll keep that in mind for when I  _ actually  _ propose _ , the prince made a note to himself. He knew if he’d said the words aloud the mood would have shifted-and he didn’t want that. For Hyungwon might not have been a wizard, but he could tell this atmosphere was magical.  

Everything from the glittering lights to the muted music playing in the distance made the moment feel unreal. As if it all could have been a vivid dream and Hyungwon would wake up drooling on his desk. But he knew he couldn’t dream up the way Changkyun looked with his caramel hair glowing in the lamplight.

The prince couldn’t handle how cute Changkyun was when he was flustered. He didn’t even try to restrain himself as he swooped in, planting a quick kiss on the boy’s lips and eliciting a surprised gasp.

Changkyun shot him an accusing glare and Hyungwon prepared to be chided for kissing him without permission.

“That was it?” Changkyun asked, sounding offended.

Hyungwon let out an articulate, “Huh?”

Changkyun narrowed his eyes further and stuck out his lower lip as he pouted. “Come on, hyung. You can do better than that.”

Hyungwon was both offended and delighted by the challenge. He leaned in close to where Changkyun could feel his breath on his lips as he spoke. “You’re right. I can.”

The prince did not waste a second as he pressed his lips to Changkyun’s. This time the boy returned the favor, kissing him back with fervor. Hyungwon smiled into the kiss as he felt his jacket fall into fountain. He was glad to have any excuse to never wear it again. They were probably not going to return to the main party anyways, so there was no problem with throwing propriety to the wind. At the thought, Hyungwon snaked his fingers through Changkyun’s hair, effectively ruining its perfectly combed state.

Changkyun groaned into his mouth in distaste as he noticed what the prince had done, but he didn’t stop kissing him, making the prince smile harder.

Sparks of magic bounced off their lips like tiny fireworks as they shifted.

Both their eyes went wide as the sound of real fireworks resonated around them. They pulled back to see blue and purple shapes explode above the pond. Changkyun looked up at them in awe, making Hyungwon wonder if the boy just liked fireworks or he’d had ever seen them before.

There was so much he still didn’t know about Changkyun, so much he had to learn.

But the prince wasn’t worried.

“Do you want to get a closer look?” Hyungwon asked quietly.

Excitement lit Changkyun’s face as he nodded.

They had a whole lifetime together to discover things about each other.

Hyungwon got up and brushed off himself off before he offered Changkyun a hand. The prince let Changkyun lead him through the palace until they stood at the bank opposite where the guests had gathered.

The two of them found a stone bench and reclined on one another as they looked up at the display. Even though they didn’t speak or move, the former frog prince and the former apprentice merely enjoyed each other’s company.

As they would for the rest of their lives, living happily ever after.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter took me a lot longer than it usually does because I was having issues writing it. A lot of stuff changed as I was writing it because I wasn't happy with how it looked. Honestly, I've been reading and re-reading since I finished to get the right final draft. This current edition is what I feel was most decent so I decided to not wait longer and post it, but I'll go back and edit all the chapters including thing one at a later date. 
> 
> This story is no where near what it was when it was conceived and at some points I worried if I would be able to finish it (despite having worked on it over the course of about 11 months). This is the first really long fic I've finished and I hope to give you all more polished works in the future. 
> 
> I would like to thank wingenuine and cravatty who helped me every step of the way. 
> 
> I want to thank all of you who read this. It has been a pleasure writing this fanfic and I know it's trippy and it's not perfect but it was fun. I hope you enjoyed reading this mess even though my writing style changes.
> 
> I'm going to miss this and miss you. I'll be back at you guys with another hyungkyun soon but rn I'm back logged on Wanna One stuff. 
> 
> (P.S. Please feel free to scream at me about MX's upcoming comeback because I want to scream too!)


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